THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

Ex  Libris 

Katharine  F.  Richmond 

and 
Henry  C.  Fall 


1341, 


A  HISTORY 


TOWN     OF     DUNSTABLE, 

MA  SSA  CHUSE  TTS, 

FROM  ITS 

EARLIEST  SETTLEMENT  TO  TOE  YEAR  OF  OUR  LORD  1813, 


BY 

THE  REV.  ELIAS  NASON,  M.  A., 

AUTHOR  OF  THB  "  LIFE  OF  HENRY  WILSON,  '  THE  "  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  SUMNBR,"  THE 
"GAZETTEER  OF  MASSACHUSETTS,"  AND  OTHBR  WORKS. 


"  It  is  wise  for  us  to  recur  to  the  history  of  our  ancestors. 
Those  who  do  not  look  upon  themselves  as  a  link  connecting 
the  Past  with  the  Future,  do  not  perform  their  duty  to  the 
world"  —  DANIEL  WEBSTER. 

"  And  shall  we  not  proclaim 
That  blood  of  honest  fame 
Which  no  tyranny  could  tame 
By  its  chain  ?  " 

WASHINGTON  ALLSTON. 


BOSTON: 

ALFRED    MUDGE    &    SON,    PRINTERS, 

34   SCHOOL  STREET. 

I877. 


So  that  is  where  "Tom"  Nason, 
of  the  Billerica  Nasons  —  his 
grandfather,  R,ev.  Elias  Nason, 
was  the  historian  of  Dunstable 
and  sometime  minister  of  the  Con- 
gregational church  at  Pawtucket- 
ville — seems  to  have  made  good 
with  another  of  the  prints  that 
have  won  him  prizes  and  other 
honors  in  the  national  art  shows. 
The  Portfolio  describes  this  as  a 
"woodcut,"  which  perhaps  it  is, 
and  not  a  wood  "engraving."  The 
distinction  between  these  forms  of 
print  is,  I  believe,  that  the  en- 
graver on  wood  works  from  white 
lines  to  black  masses;  whereas  the 
wood  cutter,  following  an  older- 
and  simpler  technique,  gouges  out 
his  whites  and  lets  the  exposed 
lines  and  shapes  print  black.  I 
think  that  when  Mr.  Nason  hung 
some  of  his  prints  at  the  Whistler 
House  here  a  while  ago  he  spoke 
of  having  studied  the  methods  of 
the  ancient  print  makers. 


F 


PREFACE. 


IN  writing  this  history  of  the  town  of  Dunstable,  Mass.,  I  have  pre- 
ferred to  arrange  it  in  the  form  of  annals,  because  the  intimate  connection 
between  the  civil,  ecclesiastical,  military,  and  educational  affairs  seemed 
to  demand  that  they  should  be  presented  in  the  order  of  time  rather  than 
apart  in  groupings  by  themselves.  By  recurring  to  the  index,  any  partic- 
ular name,  event,  or  subject  may  be  readily  found.  As  the  space  was 
limited,  I  have  endeavored  to  avoid,  as  much  as  possible,  theories,  com- 
ments, and  deductions,  and  to  compress  as  many  facts  as  appeared  to  be 
of  interest  into  the  number  of  pages  fixed  upon  for  the  work.  For  the 
same  reason  the  genealogies  of  the  families  have  been  omitted,  although 
I  have  introduced,  as  far  as  practicable,  the  dates  of  births,  deaths,  and 
marriages,  together  with  other  points  of  importance  to  those  engaged  in 
tracing  back  the  lineage  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Dunstable. 

The  materials  for  this  work  have  been  drawn  mainly  from  the  town, 
parish,  church,  and  State  records,  and  the  places  whence  citations  have 
been  made  in  general  indicated.  In  pursuing  my  investigations  I  have 
been  most  kindly  assisted  by  the  Committee  of  Publication,  consisting  of 
Messrs.  Benjamin  French,  Josiah  Cummings  Proctor,  John  Adams  Park- 
hurst,  and  Dexter  Butterfield,  by  Messrs.  John  Ward  Dean  and  William 
B.  Trask,  of  Boston,  as  well  as  by  several  others,  to  all  of  whom  I  would 
here  tender  my  very  sincere  acknowledgments. 

ELIAS    NASON. 

NORTH  BILLERICA,  MASS.,  April  21,  1877. 


1066421 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


CHAPTER     I. 

EARLY  SETTLEMENTS  IN  MASSACHUSETTS.  —  SURVEYS  OF  DUNSTABLE. — ORIGI- 
NAL GRANTS  OF  THE  LAND.  —  WILLIAM  BRENTON'S  GRANT.  —  OTHER 
GRANTS.  —  THOMAS  BRATTLE'S  GRANT.  —  DIVISION  OF  THIS  GRANT. — 
PETITION  OF  THE  PROPRIETORS  FOR  INCORPORATION. —THEIR  NAMES. — 
ACT  OF  INCORPORATION.  —  JONATHAN  DANFORTH'S  SURVEY  OF  THE 
TOWN.  —  EXTENT  OF  THE  TOWN.  —  CHARACTER  OF  THE  PROPRIETORS. — 
NAME  OF  THE  TOWN.  —  DUNSTABLE,  ENGLAND. 

"  In  the  fathers  of  New  England  we  behold  a  body  of  men  who,  for  the 
liberty  of  faith  alone,  resolutely  and  deliberately  exchanged  the  delights 
home  and  the  comforts  of  civilized  life  for  toil  and  danger,  for  an  ungenial 
climate  and  a  rugged  soil."  GULIAN  C.  VERPLANCK. 

"  We  have  no  title-deed  to  house  or  lands  ; 

Owners  and  occupants  of  earlier  date 
From  graves  forgotten  stretch  their  dusty  hands, 
And  hold  in  mortmain  still  their  old  estates." 

H.  W.  LONGFELLOW. 

THE  early  English  settlements,  commenced  along  the  shore 
of  Massachusetts  Bay, —  as  that  of  Plymouth,  1620  ;  of  Salem, 
1626 ;  of  Boston,  1630  ;  and  of  Newbury,  1633, —  were  gradually 
extended  into  the  wilderness,  then  infested  with  wild  beasts, 
and  tribes  of  wandering  savages  who  justly  held  themselves  to 
be  the  rightful  owners  of  the  soil. 

Sir  Henry  Rosewell  and  others  obtained,  on  the  4th  of  March, 
1629,  a  royal  charter  of  a  grant  of  land  in  New  England  in- 
cluded by  a  line  running  three  miles  south  of  the  Charles  River, 
and  another  line  running  three  miles  north  of  the  Merrimack 
River,  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  South  Sea,  or  Pacific  Ocean. 
The  corporation  was  entitled  "  The  Governor  and  Company  of 
the  Massachusetts  Bay  in  New  England,"  and  under  its  favor- 
able auspices  the  tide  of  immigration  set  in  rapidly  to  this  unex- 


6  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

plored  and  inhospitable  region.  As  many  as  seventeen  ships, 
bringing  about  1,500  passengers,  arrived  during  the  year  1630. 

In  the  selection  of  their  farms,  it  was  natural  for  the  settlers 
to  follow  the  course  of  the  larger  streams,  since  along  their 
margins  extended  the  rich  alluvial  lands,  which,  in  some 
instances,  the  Indians  had  reduced  to  tillage,  while  the  waters 
afforded,  not  only  an  abundant  supply  of  fish,  but  also  a  ready 
means  of  intercommunication  between  the  settlements 

Haverhill,  then  called  Pentucket,  was  settled  as  early  as 
1640;  the  Indian  deed  —  for  it  was  customary  to  remunerate 
the  natives  for  their  lands — bears  the  date  of  Nov.  15, 
1642.  Groton,  Billerica,  —  then  including  Tewksbury,  —  and 
Chelmsford,  including  Westford,  were  all  incorporated  in 
1655.  Beyond  these  towns  an  unbroken  tract  of  wilderness 
extended  as  far  as  Canada. 

Attracted  by  the  fertility  of  the  soil  and  the  heavy  growth 
of  timber  in  the  valleys  of  the  Merrimack,  Nashua,  and  Souhe- 
gan  Rivers,  enterprising  men  from  Boston,  Salem,  Woburn, 
and  other  towns  began,  as  early  as  1660,  to  obtain  grants  of 
tracts  of  land  of  three  hundred  acres  and  upwards,  lying  along 
these  rivers,  to  erect  garrison  houses  of  logs,  and  to  clear  away 
the  timber,  which  could  be  readily  floated  down  the  streams 
and  shipped  for  market. 

A  survey  of  the  valley  of  the  Merrimack  River  was  made  by 
Captains  Simon  Willard  and  Edward  Johnson  in  1652,  and  the 
colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay  then  claimed  all  the  land  three 
miles  north  and  east  of  this  river,  to  a  large  rock  in  the  Win- 
nepesaukee  River,  and  thence  due  west  as  far  as  New  York. 
The  county  of  Middlesex,  organized  May  10,  1643,  held  jurisdic- 
tion over  this  vast  unsettled  region,  and  within  it  was  embraced 
all  that  extensive  territory  which  a  few  years  later  became  the 
town  of  Dunstable. 

Four  years  subsequent  to  the  above-mentioned  survey, 
William  Brenton,  who  afterwards  became  governor  of  Rhode 
Island,  obtained  a  grant  of  a  large  tract  of  land  lying  on  both 
sides  of  the  Merrimack  River,  and  which  at  a  later  day  formed 
almost  all  of  the  township  of  Litchfield.  It  extended  on  the 
west  side  of  the  Merrimack  River,  from  a  little  stream  called 
Naticook  Brook,  just  above  Thornton's  Ferry,  down  to  about 


i67i] 


EARLY  GRANTS  OF  LAND. 


a  mile  south  of  Pennichuck  Brook,  and  was  long  known  as 
"  Brenton's  Farm."  No  attempts,  however,  were  made  to  set- 
tle on  this  land  anterior  to  1720.  About  the  year  1660  tracts 
of  land  of  five  hundred  acres  each,  on  the  Souhegan  River, 
were  granted  to  Captains  William  Davis,  of  Boston,  and  Isaac 
Johnson,  of  Roxbury,  the  latter  of  whom  was  killed  in  the  Nar- 
ragansett  fight,  Dec.  19,  1675.  The  town  of  Charlestown 
obtained  a  grant  of  one  thousand  acres,  lying  at  or  near  Dram 
Cup  Hill,  now  in  Milford,  N.  H.,  for  a  school  farm,  and  in  1662 
the  town  of  Billerica  secured  a  grant  of  five  hundred  acres  for 
the  same  purpose.  It  subsequently  obtained  a  much  larger 
grant. 

It  was  the  policy  of  the  General  Court  to  extend  the  settle- 
ments. The  value  set  upon  the  land  was  very  low,  and  hence 
extensive  tracts  of  this  wild  waste  were  readily  secured.  Mrs. 
Anna  Cole  obtained  a  grant  of  five  hundred  acres ;  Mr.  Phineas 
Pratt  and  others,  a  grant  of  three  hundred  acres,  "  for  straights 
and  hardships  endured  by  them  in  planting  at  Plymouth." 
Other  grants  were  successively  made,  among  which  was  one 
of  four  hundred  acres  to  Gov.  John  Endecott,  six  miles  north 
of  Pawtucket  Falls  and  one  mile  west  of  Beaver  Brook; 
another  to  Henry  Kimball,  long  known  as  "  Kimball's  Farm," 
and  now  in  the  towns  of  Hudson  and  Pelham,  N.  H. ;  while 
certain  tracts  on  the  southerly  side  of  Salmon  Brook  were  vV 
granted  to  Samuel  Scarlett,  Capt.  Joseph  Wheeler,  and  to  his 
son,  Lieut.  Joseph  Wheeler.  Edward  Cowell  had  a  grant  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  lying  on  the  north  of  Massapoag  Pond, 
and  Capt.  Thomas  Brattle,  a  noted  citizen  of  Boston  and  a 
public  benefactor,  had  a  grant  of  1,650  acres,  extending  north- 
easterly from  Mr.  Cowell's  land,  and  embracing  what  is  now 
the  village  of  Dunstable.  It  was  known  for  almost  a  century 
as  "  Brattle's  Farm,"  and  the  settlement  made  upon  it  bore  the 
name  of  "  Brattle  End."  Capt.  Brattle  bought  this  land  July 
14,  1671,  of  Kanapatune  and  Patatucke,*  Indians,  and  it  is 
described  as  being  2,000  acres,  "  in  the  wilderness  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Merramack,  between  the  river  and  Mashapopog 
Pond,  on  the  line  of  Chelmsford."  The  land  was  formerly 

*  He  was  of  Wamesit,  and  one  of  the  owners  of  the  territory  of  Groton.     He 
was  called  by  the  English,  Jacob  Patatucke. 


g  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1673 

owned  by  the  Indian  Cuttah-huno-a-muck,  who  may  be  con- 
sidered the  original  proprietor  of  what  is  now  the  town  of 
Dunstable,  Mass.*  A  plan  of  this  famous  farm,  by  Jonathan 
Danforth,  dated  Sept.  27,  1672,  is  still  preserved,  and  by  it 
many  questions  as  to  the  original  owners  of  the  land  in  that 
section  of  the  town  may  be  determined.  Who  the  owners  of 
the  "  Brattle  Farm  "  were  about  thirty-six  years  subsequent  to 
the  death  of  Mr.  Brattle  may  be  seen  from  the  following  inter- 
esting document :  — 

"  DUNSTABLE,  Oct  25,  1718. 

"  At  a  meeting  of  us  whose  names  are  underwritten,  being  the  propri- 
etors of  ye  farme  that  was  Mr.  Thomas  Brattles,  and  having  divided  ye 
greatest  part  of  it  amongst  us  into  lots,  both  ye  upland  and  ye  medow,  doe 
all  agree  that  every  one  of  us  shall  bee  allowed  all  necessary  ways  across 
our  lands,  both  open  and  bridle  ways,  for  the  improvement  of  our  lands, 
and  to  ye  meeting-house  as  the  major  part  of  the  propriety  shall  order  and 
determine,  and  in  case  anyone  be  more  damnified  than  ye  xt  he  shall  be 
recompenced  for  his  damage  by  ye  way  exing.  Witness  our  hands. 
THOMAS  CUMINGS,  NATHANIEL  CUMINGS,  JACOB  KENDLE,  ABRAHAM 
TAYLOR,  JOHN  TAYLOR,  JAMES  JEWELL,  THOMAS  JEWELL."  f 

In  September,  1673,  a  grant  of  1,000  acres  was  made  to  the 
Ancient  and  Honorable  Artillery  Company,  of  Boston.  This 
land  extended  westerly  from  the  Merrimack  River,  along  the 
right  bank  of  Nashua  River,  as  far  as  Spectacle  Brook,  and 
thence  northerly  about  one  mile.  Upon  it  stands  to-day  the 
most  densely  settled  part  of  the  industrial  city  of  Nashua. 

The  proprietors  of  these  extensive  plantations  were  for  the 
most  part  leading  men  in  the  colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay ; 
and  having  conferred  together,  they  presented  to  the  General 
Court,  in  1673,  the  following  petition,  asking  to  be  incorporated 
as  a  town,  in  order  that,  as  such,  they  might  be  of  greater  ser- 
vice to  the  country  :  — 

•See  Brattle  Family,  p.  3.  Major  Thomas  Brattle,  born  about  1624,  married 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  William  Tyng.  He  was  a  merchant  of  Boston,  commanded 
several  expeditions  against  Philip,  and  died  April  5,  1683,  in  his  sixtieth  year.  He 
was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Old  South  Church.  His  son,  Thomas  Brattle,  H.  C., 
1676,  was  one  of  the  founders  of  Brattle  Street  Church,  and  died  May  18,  1713. 

t  In  addition  to  their  meadow  lands,  they  had  severally  the  following  portions 
of  the  "  Brattle  Farm":  Thomas  Cummings,  125  ;  Eben'r  Taylor,  153  ;  Abraham 
Taylor,  1584  ;  James  Jewell,  213  ;  John  Taylor,  iSS  ;  Thomas  Jewell,  138  ;  Jacob 
Kendall,  133;  Nathaniel  Cummings,  108 ;  Gershom  Proctor,  151  ;  and  Samuel 
Harwood,  211  acres. 


1673] 


PETITION  OF  THE  PROPRIETORS. 


COPY  OF  THE  PETITION  OF  THE  PROPRIETORS  OF  THE  LANDS  ALONG  THE 
MERRIMACK,  NASHUA,  AND  SOUHEGAN  RIVERS,  TO  BE  INCORPORATED 
AS  A  TOWN. 

To  the  Honored  Governor,  Deptity  Governor,  with  the  Magistrates  ana 

Deputies  now  assembled  in  the  General  Court  at  Boston  :  — 
The  petition  of  the  proprietors  that  are  laid  out  upon  the  Merrimac 
River,  with  others  who  desire  to  joyn  with  them  in  the  settlement  of  a 
plantation  there. 

HUMBLY   SHEWETH 

That  whereas,  there  is  a  considerable  tract  of  countrys  land  that  is 
invironed  with  the  proprieties  of  particular  persons  and  towns,  viz. :  by 
the  line  of  the  town  of  Chelmsford,  and  by  Groton  line,  and  by  Mr.  Bren- 
ton's  farm,  by  Souhegan  farms,  and  beyond  Merrimac  River,  by  the  outer- 
most line  of  Henry  KimbalPs  farm,  and  so  to  Chelmsford  line  again  —  All 
which  is  in  little  capacity  of  doing  the  country  any  service  except  the  farms 
bordering  upon  it  be  adjoined  to  said  land,  to  make  a  plantation  there  ; 
and  there  being  a  considerable  number  of  persons  who  are  of  a  sober  and 
orderly  conversation,  who  do  stand  in  great  need  of  accommodations,  who 
are  willing  and  ready  to  make  present  improvement  of  the  said  vacant 
lands.  And  the  proprietors  of  the  said  farms  are  therefore  willing  to  join 
with  and  give  encouragement  to  those  that  shall  improve  the  said  lands  : 
the  farms  that  are  in  the  tract  of  land  before  described  being  about  14,000 
acres  at  the  least :  — 

Your  petitioners  therefore  humbly  request  the  favour  of  the  Honorable 
Court  that  they  will  please  to  grant  the  said  tract  of  land  to  your  petition- 
ers, and  to  such  as  will  join  with  them  in  the  settlement  of  the  lands  before 
mentioned,  as  that  those  who  have  improved  their  farms  there,  and  others 
who  speedily  intend  to  do  the  same,  may  be  in  the  way  for  the  support 
of  the  public  ordinances  of  God,  for  without  which  the  greatest  part  of 
the  year  they  will  be  deprived  of,  the  farms  lying  so  far  remote  from 
any  towns :  and  farther  that  the  Honorable  Court  will  please  grant  the 
like  immunities  to  this  plantation,  as  they  in  their  favours  have  for- 
merly granted  to  other  new  plantations.  So  shall  your  petitioners  be  ever 
engaged  to  pray. 

THOMAS   BRATTLE.  THOMAS  EDWARDS. 

JONATHAN  TYNG  THOMAS  WHEELER,  Sen. 

JOSEPH  WHEELER.  PETER  BULKLEY. 

JAMES   PARKER,  Senior.  JOSEPH   PARKER. 

ROBERT  GIBBS.  JOHN   MORSE,   Sen. 

JOHN  TURNER.  SAMUEL  COMBS. 

SAMPSON   SHEAFE.  JAMES  PARKER,  Jr. 

SAMUEL  SCARLET.  JOHN   PARKER. 

WILLIAM  LAKIN.  JOSIAH  PARKER. 

ABRAHAM  PARKER.  NATHANIEL  BLOOD. 

JAMES  KNAPP.  ROBERT  PARRIS. 

ROBERT  PROCTOR.  JOHN  JOLIFFE. 

SIMON  WILLARD,  Jr.  ZACHARIAH  LONG. 


IO  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1674 

This  petition,  signed  by  such  a  large  number  of  respectable 
men,  was  granted  by  the  General  Court  on  the  sixteenth  day 
of  October,  O.  S.  1673,  and  the  town  was  thus  incorporated.* 

The  following  is  a  copy,  verbatim  et  literatim,  of  the  Act  of 
Incorporation  as  it  stands  in  the  Records  of  the  Secretary  of 
the  State :  — 

"In  ansr  to  the  petition  [of]  Mr.  Thomas  Brattle,  James  Parker,  Jonathan 
Tyng,  Willyam  Lakin,  in  behalfe  of  themselues  &  others  joyn  in  their 
humble  petition,  to  desire  the  favour  of  this  Court  to  grant  them  liberty  to 
setle  a  plantation  wth  their  farme,  and  a  considerable  tract  of  land  belong- 
ing to  the  country  being  environed  wth  the  proprietyes  of  particular  persons 
&  tounes,  as  by  the  lyne  of  Chelmsford,  and  by  Groaten  lyne,  and  by  Mr 
Brentons  farme,  by  Souhegon  farmes,  and  beyond  Merrimack  River  by 
the  outermost  lyne  of  Henry  Kemballs  farme,  &  so  to  Chelmsford  lyne 
againe,  as  also  such  imunties  to  the  plantation  as  this  Court  have  formerly 
granted  to  other  new  plantations,  the  Court  judgeth  it  meete  to  grant  their 
requests,  prouided  that  a  farme  of  fiue  hundred  acres  of  vpland  &  meadow 
be  layd  out  of  this  tract  for  the  countrys  vse  and  that  they  proceed  in  set- 
tling the  plantation  as  to  finish  it  once  within  three  yeares  &  procure  and 
mainteyne  an  able  &  orthodoxe  minister  amongst  them. 

"  EDWARD  RAWSON,  Secretary." 

Capt.  Jonathan  Danforth,  of  Billerica,  a  noted  land  surveyor, 
who  died  in  1712,  and  of  whom  it  was  said, — 

"  He  rode  the  circuit,  chained  great  towns  and  farms  ; 
To  good  behaviour ;  and  by  well-marked  stations, 
He  fixed  their  bounds  for  many  generations," 

was  appointed  to  perambulate  and  make  a  plan  of  the  new 
territory.  He  completed  the  survey  in  May,  1674,  and  thus 
described  the  boundaries  :  — 

"  It  lieth  upon  both  sides  of  the  Merrimack  River  on  the  Nashaway 
River.  It  is  bounded  on  the  south  by  Chelmsford,  by  Groton  line, 
partly  by  country  land.  The  westerly  line  runs  due  north  until  you  come 
to  Souhegan  River  to  a  hill  called  Dram  Cup  Hill,  to  a  great  pine  near  to 
ye  said  river  at  ye  north-west  corner  of  Charlestown  school  farm  ;  bounded 

*  George  W.  Chase,  in  his  Remarks  on  the  Census  of  Massachusetts,  1860, 
assigns  "  Oct.  15,  1673,"  as  l^e  date  of  the  Act  of  Incorporation,  and  this  was  in 
accordance  with  other  writers.  The  Hon.  Samuel  T.  Worcester  gave,  in  1873, 
the  1 6th  of  October  as  the  true  date.  On  looking  at  the  original  records  at  the 
State  House,  I  find  that  the  session  of  the  General  Court,  during  which  the  Act 
was  passed,  began  Oct.  15,  1673,  ar|d  continued  several  weeks,  but  the  Act  of  Incor- 
poration was  passed  the  second  day  of  the  session. 


1674]  SURVEY  OF  CAPT.  DANFORTH.  ll 

by  Souhegan  River  on  the  north,  and  on  the  east  side  Merrimack  it 
begins  at  a  great  stone  which  was  supposed  to  be  near  the  north-east 
corner  of  Mr.  Brenton's  land,  and  from  thence  it  runs  south-south-east 
six  miles  to  a  pine  tree  marked  '  F,'  standing  within  sight  of  Beaver 
Brook  ;  thence  it  runs  two  degrees  west  of  south  four  miles  and  a  quarter 
which  reached  to  the  south  side  of  Henry  Kimble's  farm  at  Jeremie's  Hill; 
thence  from  ye  south-east  angell  of  said  farm,  it  runs  two  degrees  and  a 
quarter  westward  of  the  south,  near  to  the  head  of  Long  Pond,  which  lieth 
at  ye  head  of  Edward  Colburn's  farm,  and  thus  it  is  bounded  by  ye  said 
pond  and  ye  head  of  said  Colburn's  farm ;  taking  in  Capt.  Scarlett's  farm 
so  as  to  close  again,  all  which  is  sufficiently  bounded  and  described. 

"  DUNSTABLE,  sd  Mo.  [May]  1674." 

This  tract  of  land,  equal  in  extent  to  many  a  dukedom  in 
Europe,  embraced  about  two  hundred  square  miles,  or  128,000 
acres,  and  included  what  are  now  the  towns  of  Dunstable  and 
Tyngsborough,  and  parts  of  the  towns  of  Dracut,  Groton,  Pep- 
perell,  and  Townsend,  Mass.,  together  with  the  city  of  Nashua, 
the  towns  of  Hollis,  Hudson,  and  sections  of  the  towns  of 
Brookline,  Milford,  Amherst,  Merrimack,  Londonderry,  Litch- 
field,  and  Pelham,  N.  H. 

The  western  line  extended  from  some  unknown  point  in 
what  is  now  Townsend,*  about  ten  miles  due  north  by  Musca- 
tanapus,  or  Bear  Pond,  near  Brookline  Centre,  to  Dram  Cup 

Hill,  now  in  Milford,  on  Souhegan  River.     The  northern  boun- 

/ 

dary  extended  along  this  river  to  the  Merrimack  River,  and 
thence  to  a  high  rock  now  to  be  seen  in  Londonderry,  in  all, 
about  sixteen  miles  ;  the  eastern  line,  starting  from  this  rock, 
ran  by  Beaver  Brookf  and  Long  Pond,  near  Mr.  Edward 
Colburn's  farm,  to  a  point  a  little  below  Wicasuck  Island,  and 
the  southern  line  ran  due  west,  including  the  whole  of  Massa- 
poag  Pond,  to  some  point  now  undetermined  in  the  "  country's 
land." 

By  the  Act  of  Incorporation  all  the  lands  of  the  town,  granted 
or  ungranted,  became  the  property  of  the  grantees,  who,  some 
twelve  years  subsequently,  purchased  the  title  thereto  of  the 
Wamesit  and  Naticook  Indians  for  the  sum  of  £20  sterling. 

*  Incorporated  June  29,  1732. 

t  This  stream  flows  through  Dracut,  and  enters  the  Merrimack  River  in  the  city 
of  Lowell.  Long  Pond,  partly  in  Dracut  and  partly  in  Pelham,  N.  H.,  was  called 
by  the  Indians  Pimmomittiquonnit ;  it  sends  a  tributary  into  Beaver  Brook. 


I2  HIS7ORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1674 

In  no  town  of  this  Commonwealth  were  the  lands  taken  up 
by  more  noted  men,  who,  though  they  did  not  all  become 
actual  settlers,  still  exercised  a  most  favorable  influence  on 
the  new  plantation.  Among  the  grantees  were  the  brave 
Gov.  John  Endecott  (1588-1665),  who  held  the  highest  military 
office  in  the  colony ;  William  Brenton,  a  noted  fur-trader,  and 
subsequently  governor  of  Rhode  Island  ;  Gov.  Joseph  Dudley, 
(1647-1701),  once  a  member  of  the  British  Parliament;  Capt. 
Thomas  Brattle,  a  brave  and  benevolent  citizen  of  Boston  ;  and 
the  Rev.  Thomas  Weld,  first  minister  of  Dunstable.  Among 
the  petitioners  were  Peter  Bulkley,*  Speaker  of  the  House  of 
Deputies ;  Sampson  Sheafe,  a  member  of  the  Provincial  Council 
of  New  Hampshire  ;  and  Jonathan  Tyng,  who  was  honored  with 
many  important  offices,  and  of  great  service  to  the  infant 
colony. 

The  new  town  is  said  to  have  received  its  name  in  compli- 
ment to  Mrs.  Mary,  wife  of  the  Hon.  Edward  Tyng,  who  emi- 
grated from  Dunstable,  England,  about  1630,  and  whose  son 
Jonathan  became  possessor  of  a  large  tract  of  land  in  what  is 
now  the  town  of  Tyngsborough.  The  old  English  town  from 
which,  not  only  the  Tyng  family,  but  other  early  settlers  came, 
is  pleasantly  situated  at  the  base  of  the  Chiltern  Hills  in  Bed- 
fordshire, eighteen  miles  south-southwest  of  Bedford  and  ten 
miles  east-northeast  of  the  Boxmore  Station  of  the  London 
and  Northwestern  Railway.  It  had,  in  185 1,  3,589  inhabitants, 
and  with  its  green  fields  and  neatly  trimmed  hedge-rows,  its 
ancient  stone  church  and  brick  dwelling-houses,  makes  a  very 
picturesque  appearance.  Henry  !„  founded  here  a  priory  of 
black  canons,  which  now  forms  a  part  of  the  ancient  church. 
At  the  Red  Lion  Inn,  Charles  I. slept  on  his  way  to  Naseby. 
The  name  "  Dunstable  "  is  supposed  to  be  derived  from  Dun, 
a  notorious  robber  who  lived  here  in  the  reign  of  Henry  L; 
but  it  comes  more  probably  from  "dun,"  a  hilly  place,  and 
"  staple,"  a  mart  or  emporium.  This  town  is  celebrated  for 
the  manufacture  of  straw  plat  bonnets  and  hats,  also  for  the 

*  "  Mr.  Bulkley  was  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Deputies, —  son,  I  suppose,  of  the 
celebrated  minister  of  Concord  of  the  same  name."  —  Hutchinson's  History  of 
Massachusetts,  I,  p.  281. 


1674]  DUNSTABLE,   ENGLAND.  j^ 

number  and  size  of  the  larks  it  sends  to  London  market.  A 
certain  kind  of  straw  braid  in  Massachusetts  long  bore  the 
name  of  "  Dunstable." 

The  ancient  Norman  kings  had  a  palace  in  this  town,  and 
here  Edward  I  erected  a  cross  to  mark  the  spot  where  the 
body  of  his  deceased  queen  rested  on  its  way  to  sepulture  in 
Westminster  Abbey.  The  town  is  also  noted  as  the  place 
where  Archbishop  Cranmer,  in  1553,  pronounced  the  sentence 
of  divorce  between  Henry  VIII  and  Katharine  of  Aragon. 
As  the  parish  register  in  early  times  was  not  well  kept,  it  fur- 
nishes nothing  in  respect  to  the  families  which  emigrated  to 
America,  yet  the  present  citizens  of  old  English  Dunstable 
express  a  kindly  interest  in  the  welfare  of  its  namesake  in 
New  England. 


HISTORY  Of   DUKSTABLE.  [1665 


CHAPTER     II. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  ORIGINAL  TOWN. — JOHN  CROMWELL  THE  FIRST  SET- 
TLER.—  AN  AGREEMENT  BETWEEN  THE  INHABITANTS.  —  NAMES  OF  EAKLY 
RESIDENTS.  —  AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  INDIANS  OF  THIS  REGION.  —  THEIR 
MODE  OF  LIVING.  —  PASSACONAWAY. — JOHN  ELIOT.  —  WANNALANCET. 
— His  CONVERSION  TO  CHRISTIANITY  AND  FRIENDSHIP.  —  PHILIP'S  WAR. 
—  EXPOSED  SITUATION  OF  DUNSTABLE. —  OBADIAH  PERRY.  —  JONATHAN 
TYNG'S  BRAVERY.  —  His  PETITION  TO  THE  GENERAL  COURT.  —  PRAY- 
ING INDIANS  REMOVED  TO  WICASUCK  FALLS. 

"Beneath  the  same  sun  that  rolls  over  your  heads,  the  Indian  hunter 
pursued  the  panting  deer  ;  gazing  on  the  same  moon  that  smiles  for  you, 
the  Indian  lover  wooed  his  dusky  mate."  CHARLES  SPRAGUE. 

"  Each  town  was  a  small  but  perfect  republic,  as  solitary  and  secluded 
in  the  New  England  wilderness  as  the  Swiss  cantons  among  the  Alps." 

GEORGE  W.  CURTIS. 

"  Ye  sons,  think  deep  ;  be  strong  in  heart  and  hand  ; 

Remember  God,  who  with  his  silver  key 
Unlocked  the  western  gates,  and  gave  this  land 
To  Freedom's  sons,  and  all  whom  truth  makes  free." 

FRANCES   M.  CAULKINS. 

THIS  whole  region  was  then,  with  the  exception  of  an  occa- 
sional clearing  in  which  the  Indians  had  planted  maize,  beans, 
and  squashes,  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  pine,  oak,  wal- 
nut, maple,  birch,  and  other  kinds  of  timber.  It  was  well 
watered  by  the  noble  Merrimack,  the  Nashua,  the  Souhegan, 
and  the  Nissitisset  Rivers,  together  with  their  numerous  trib- 
utaries and  several  beautiful  ponds,  whose  waters  were  fre- 
quented by  the  wild  fowl  and  well  stored  with  fish.  The 
beaver  built  its  dam  by  felling  trees  across  the  minor  streams  ; 
the  otter,  mink,  and  muskrat  were  often  seen  gliding  over  the 
still  waters  ;  bears,  wolves,  and  catamounts  ranged  through 
the  tangled  forests,  and  their  peltries  well  repaid  the  huntsman 


1665]  JOHN  CROMWELL.  jj; 

for  his  venturesome  excursions.  Here  and  there  an  Indian 
trail  appeared,  for  the  most  part  leading  to  some  waterfall 
where  the  red  men  met  in  the  fishing  season,  and  where  they 
generally  built  their  wigwams  and  performed  their  savage 
rites.  Here  and  there  a  trading-post,  as  that  of  Cromwell, 
had  been  established,  and  the  woodman's  axe  or  gun  occasion- 
ally resounded  through  the  wilderness. 

The  name  of  the  first  white  settler  of  this  broad  domain  is 
not  certainly  known  ;  there  is  a  tradition,  however,  that  one  ^  ^ 
John  Cromwell  from  Boston  came  to  what  is  now  Tyngs- 
borough  as  early  as  1665,  for  the  purpose  of  trading  with  the 
Indians.  He  used  his  foot,  it  is  said,  as  a  pound  weight  in 
buying  peltries  of  the  natives  ;  but  on  being  detected  in  this 
iniquitous  proceeding,  came  near  to  pay  the  penalty  with  his 
life.  A  party  of  the  Pennacook  Indians  whom  he  had  thus 
defrauded  came  down  the  river  to  wreak  on  him  their  ven- 
geance ;  but  on  being  advertised  of  their  approach,  he  gath- 
ered up  his  ill-gotten  treasure  and  saved  himself  by  flight. 
The  cellar  of  his  house,  which  the  Indians  burned,  is  still 
visible,  and  not  many  years  since  a  sum  of  money  is  said  to 
have  been  found  in  a  rusty  iron  pot  by  some  one  who  was 
ploughing  a  field  in  the  vicinity.  The  Rev.  Nathaniel  Pren- 
tice, in  his  account  of  Tyngsborough,  October,  1815,  thus  refers 
to  him  :  —  * 

"  It  is  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  since  he  erected  a  hut  in  this 
place  on  the  banks  of  the  Merrimack.  .  .  .  Within  a  few  hours  after 
his  flight  [from  the  incensed  natives]  a  party  of  the  Pennacook  tribe 
arrived,  and  not  finding  the  object  of  their  resentment,  burnt  his  hut. 
Some  time  after  pewter  was  found  in  the  well,  and  an  iron  pot  and  tram- 
mel in  the  sand ;  the  latter  are  preserved.  The  present  owner  of  the 
place  was  ploughing  near  the  spot  and  found  his  plough  moving  over  a 
flat  stone  which  gave  a  hollow  sound.  On  removing  the  earth  and  stone, 
he  discovered  a  hole  stoned  about  six  inches  in  diameter,  from  which  he 
took  a  sum  of  money." 

It  is  probable,  however,  that  some  tracts  of  land  were  set- 
tled anterior  to  this  period  ;  perhaps  about  the  time,  or  a  little 
after,  the  grant  of  land  at  Naticook  was  made,  in  1656,  to 
William  Brenton. 

*  See  Massachusetts  Historical  Collections,  Second  Series,  Vol.  IV,  p.  192. 


X6  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1674 

The  exclusive  right  of  trading  with  the  Indians  on  the 
Merrimack  River  was  sold  to  Simon  Willard,  Thomas  Hench- 
man (of  Chelmsford),  Ensign  Thomas  Wheeler,  and  William 
Brenton  for  ^£25  on  the  first  day  of  July,  1657,  and  we  may 
well  suppose  that  actual  settlements  were  made  soon  after- 
wards. Some  of  the  farmers,  or  those  cultivating  the  soil 
there,  signed  the  petition  for  incorporation  in  1673  ;  the  pro- 
prietors met  at  the  house  of  Lieut.  Wheeler  in  1674,  which 
was  perhaps  the  second  one  erected  on  the  plantation,  and 
apple  orchards  are  spoken  of  in  the  year  following,  —  all  of 
which  would  lead  to  the  belief  that  some  lands  had  been 
actually  occupied  and  improved  by  the  English  a  considerable 
period  anterior  to  the  charter. 

Previous  to  the  division  of  their  lands  the  proprietors  wisely 
entered  into  a  written  agreement,  by  which  every  actual  set- 
tler was  to  have  a.  house-lot  of  ten  acres,  with  an  additional 
acre  for  every  £,2Q  of  personal  estate  he  might  possess,  but 
none  were  to  have  a  house-lot  of  more  than  thirty  acres  ; 
while  the  remainder  of  the  common  land  was  to  be  divided  in 
proportion  to  the  value  of  the  respective  house-lots.* 

"  To  the  intent,"  proceeds  the  compact,  "  yl  we  may  live  in 
love  and  peace  together,  we  do  agree,  yl  whatever  fence  we 
do  make,  either  about  corn-fields,  orchards,  or  gardens,  shall 
be  a  sufficient  four  rail  fence,  or  yl  which  is  equivalent,  whether 
hedge,  ditch,  or  stone  wall,  or  'of  loggs  ;  and  if  any  person  sus- 
tain damage  through  the  deficiency  of  their  own  fences  not 
being  according  to  order,  he  shall  bear  his  own  damage." 
This  excellent  provision,  doubtless,  prevented  many  petty  feuds 
and  vexations  which  otherwise  would  have  arisen,  and  shows 
the  amicable  disposition  as  well  as  the  good  sense  of  the 
fathers  of  the  town. 

The  settlements  were  begun  along  the  pleasant  margin  of 
Salmon  Brook,  which  afforded  fish  in  abundance  and  consider- 
able motive-power,  and  were  extended  southwards  down  that 
stream  and  along  the  right  bank  of  the  Merrimack  River.  A 


*A  thirty-acre  house-lot  entitled   the  holder  to   six  hundred  acres  of  the 
common  land. 


1674] 


INDIAN  TRIBES. 


garrison  house  was  soon  erected  ;  and  invited  by  the  rich  allu- 
vial soil,  the  heavy  timber  growth,  and  the  liberal  policy  of  the 
proprietors,  the  tide  of  emigration  set  in  rapidly  to  the  new  and 
hopeful  town.  It  numbered  soon  amongst  its  actual  inhabi- 
tants John  Acres,  John,  William,  and  Samuel  Beale,  John 
Blanchard,  Andrew  Cook,  Isaac,  John,  and  Thomas  Cum- 
mings,  Henry  Farwell,  Samuel  French,  John  and  Samuel 
Gould,  Joseph  Hassell,  John,  John,  Jr.,  and  Joseph  Lovewell, 
Thomas  Lund,  Robert  Parris,  Obadiah  Perry,  Robert  Proctor, 
Christopher  Read,  John  Sollendine,  Christopher  Temple, 
Edward  Tyng,  Jonathan  Tyng,  Robert  Usher,  Daniel  and  John 
Waldo,  Samuel  Warner,  Thomas  Weld,  Joseph  Wheeler,  and 
Samuel  Whiting,  son  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Whiting  of  Billerica. 

The  Indians,  who  were  always  less  numerous  in  New  Eng- 
land than  is  commonly  supposed,  had  been  greatly  reduced  by 
a  plague  which  occurred  several  years  anterior  to  the  arrival 
of  the  Pilgrims,  and  therefore  found  it  expedient  to  manifest 
in  general  a  pacific  bearing  towards  the  early  English  settlers. 

Those  in  Massachusetts,  together  with  those  on  the  Merri- 
mack  River,  were  divided  into  four  principal  tribes,  of  which 
the  Pawtuckets,  embracing  several  minor  tribes,  called  the 
Nashaways,  Nashobas,  Pennacooks,  Naticooks,  and  Wamesits, 
are  thought  to  have  numbered,  in  1674,  about  one  thousand 
people.  On  account  of  their  nomadic  kind  of  life,  their  terri- 
torial boundaries  were  very  indefinite  ;  but  the  headquarters 
of  the  Nashaways  were  the  rich  intervals  of  Lancaster  ;  of  the 
Nashobas,  the  forests  of  Littleton  ;  of  the  Pennacooks,  the 
alluvial  lands  of  Concord,  N.  H  ;  and  of  the  Naticooks,  the  fer- 
tile tracts  near  the  mouth  of  the  Souhegan  River  ;  while  the 
Wamesits*  dwelt  near  the  Falls  in  the  Concord  River,  and  the 
Pawtuckets  near  the  Falls  which  perpetuate  their  name  in 
the  Merrimack  River. 

These  Indians  dwelt  in  huts  called  wigwams,  dressed  in  the 
skins  of  animals,  and  subsisted  on  fish  and  game,  which  the 
streams  and  forests  abundantly  supplied,  and  on  Indian  corn, 


*  Wamesit  signifies  "  a  place  of  a  large  assembly."    Pau<tucket  means  "  falling 
waters." 

2 


• 


HISTORY  OF  DUA'STABLE. 


[1644 


beans,  and  squashes,  which  the  women  rudely  cultivated,  using 
a  large  clam-shell  for  a  hoe.  They  parched  their  corn,  and 
pounded  it  in  mortars  made  of  stone.* 

Their  skin  was  copper-colored  ;  their  hair  long,  straight,  and 
black.  They  wore  moccasons,  made  of  untanned  deer  or  bear 
skin,  on  their  feet.  For  money  they  made  use  of  shells,  called 
wampum,  strung  upon  a  belt  ;  and  for  weapons  of  war,  the 
tomahawk,  made  of  stone,  the  bow  and  arrow,  and  the  scalp- 
ing-knife. 

Their  language  was  rough  and  guttural,  though  many  words, 
as  "  Nashua,"  "  Nashoba,"  "  Miantonimo,"  and  "  Passaconna- 
way  "  (meaning  child  of  the  bear),  are  as  euphonious  as  the 
ear  of  a  Tuscan  could  desire.  They  had  some  faint  notions 
of  a  Supreme  Power,  and  held  a  compact,  justly  made,  to  be 
inviolable. 

With  such  rude  beings  the  early  white  settlers  had  to  deal, 
and  keep  the  peace,  as  far  as  possible.  Of  such  barbarians 
they  bought  the  land,  and  to  them  they  presented  the  illumi- 
nation of  the  gospel.  Of  the  subordinate  tribes  above  men- 
tioned, the  Pennacooks  were  considered  the  most  warlike  ;  and 
the  great  chief  Passaconnaway,  to  whom  all  the  rest  were 
subject,  dwelt  in  part  amongst  them  and  in  part  with  the 
Pawtuckets,  who  occupied,  as  it  were,  the  central  part  of  his 
dominions. 

He  is  mentioned  by  Gov.  John  VVinthrop  as  early  as  1632, 
and  the  English,  ten  years  later,  fearing  a  conspiracy,  sent  a 
force  of  forty  men  to  take  him  captive  ;  but  failing  in  the 
attempt,  they  inhumanly  fired  upon  his  son  and  made  him 
prisoner.  In  1644  the  father  and  son  submitted  themselves, 
together  with  their  people  and  possessions,  to  the  government 
of  Massachusetts.! 

After  ample  preparation,  the  Rev.  John  Eliot,  a  most  de- 
voted missionary  of  the  cross,  commenced  his  labors  amongst 

*  There  is  a  very  curious  Indian  mortar  cut  into  a  huge  bowlder  in  a  forest  near 
"  Angle  Meadow,"  on  the  farm  of  the  late  John  Swallow.  It  is  about  seven  inches 
deep  and  the  same  in  diameter.  Long  usage  has  rendered  the  surface  very 
smooth.  It  is  usually  filled  with  water. 

t  Drake's  Book  of  the  Indians,  Bk.  Ill,  p.  95. 


1 662] 


PASSACONNA  IV A  Y. 


'the  Indians  at  Nonantum,  now  Newton,  in  the  autumn  of 
1646,  and  soon  afterwards  extended  his  visits  to  Concord  and 
to  Wamesit.  On  his  second  visit  to  the  latter  place,  which 
occurred  in  the  spring  of  1648,  he  met  a  large  concourse  of 
the  natives,  who  had  come  from  all  quarters  to  fish  at  the  Falls 
in  the  Concord  and  Merrimack  Rivers,  and  he  improved  the 
opportunity  to  impart  to  them  the  elements  of  the  Christian 
religion,  preaching  his  first  sermon  to  them  from  Malachi  i, 
n,  which  he  thus  paraphrased:  "From  the  rising  of  the 
sun  to  the  going  down  of  the  same,  Thy  name  shall  be  great 
among  the  Indians  ;  and  in  everyplace,  prayers  shall  be  made 
to  thy  name,  —  pure  prayers;  for  thy  name  shall  be  great  among 
the  Indians."  Passaconnaway,  who  would  not  listen  to  Mr. 
Eliot  on  his  first  visit,  now  came  forward,  proposed  many 
questions,  and  expressed  his  determination  to  pray  to  God, 
and  to  persuade  his  sons,  two  of  whom  were  present,  to  do 
the  same. 

This  celebrated  chief,  who  was  a  powwow  or  socerer,  and 
who  was  believed  by  the  natives  to  be  able  to  "  make  water 
burn,  rocks  move,  and  trees  dance,"*  desired  Mr.  Eliot,  on  his 
visit  to  Pawtucket  the  ensuing  year,  to  come  and  reside  per- 
manently with  his  people  and  be  their  teacher.  Although  the 
missionary  could  not  accede  to  this  request,  he  continued  his 
annual  visits  to  the  Pawtuckets,  and  here  established  what  was 
called  his  fifth  "  praying  town  "  of  the  Indians.  It  is  not  cer- 
tain that  he  preached  at  any  place  within  the  original  limits  of 
Dunstable  ;  but  the  Indians  of  this  region,  who  were  all  under 
the  same  sagamore,  assembled  at  Pawtucket  or  Wamesit  to 
be  instructed  by  Mr.  Eliot,  or  in  his  absence  by  their  teacher, 
Numphow,  as  to  the  principles  of  the  gospel.  Passaconna- 
way lived  to  an  advanced  age,  and  continued  to  the  last  a  faith- 
ful friend  of  the  English.  In  1662  the  General  Court  granted 
to  him  and  his  men  a  tract  of  land  above  Mr.  Brenton's  farm, 
a  mile  and  a  half  in  breadth  and  three  miles  in  length  on 
either  side  of  the  Merrimack  River.  Some  time  previous  to 
his  death,  which  occurred  anterior  to  Philip's  War,  he  said  to 
his  children  and  friends  :  — 

*  Hutchinson's  History  of  Massachusetts^  VI,  p.  420. 


2Q  HISTORY  OF  DUXSTABLE.  [1665 

"  I  am  now  going  the  way  of  all  flesh,  or  am  ready  to  die,  and  I  am  not 
likely  to  see  you  meet  together  any  more.  I  will  now  have  this  word 
of  counsel  with  you,  that  you  may  take  heed  how  you  quarrel  with  the 
English  ;  for  though  you  may  do  them  much  mischief,  yet  assuredly  you 
will  all  be  destroyed  and  rooted  off  the  earth,  if  you  do  ;  for  I  was  as 
much  an  enemy  to  the  English,  at  their  first  coming  into  these  parts,  as 
any  one  whatsoever,  and  did  try  all  ways  and  means  possible  to  have  them 
destroyed,  at  least  to  have  prevented  them  settling  down  here,  but  I 
could  no  way  effect  it ;  therefore,  I  advise  you  never  to  contend  with  the 
English,  nor  make  war  with  them."* 

To  the  pacific  counsel  and  forbearance  of  this  noble  chief 
and  his  son  and  successor  Wannalancet,  the  security  which 
the  early  white  settlers  of  this  region  for  a  long  period 
enjoyed  is,  to  a  large  extent,  attributable.  In  his  beautiful 
poem  of  "The  Bride  of  Pennacook,"  Mr.  Whittier  thus  alludes 
to  the  black  arts  practised  by  Passaconnaway  :  — 

"  For  that  chief  had  magic  skill, 
And  a  Panisee's  dark  will 
Over  powers  of  good  and  ill,  — 

Powers  which  bless  and  powers  which  ban. 
Wizzard  lord  of  Pennacook  ! 
Chiefs  upon  their  war-paths  shook, 
When  they  met  the  steady  look 
Of  that  wise,  dark  man." 

In  the  year  1653  Mr.  Eliot  obtained  a  grant  of  land  of  the 
General  Court  for  his  "  praying  Indians  "  at  Pawtucket  Falls. 
The  bounds  were  subsequently  enlarged  so  as  to  embrace  about 
2,500  acres,  lying  on  both  sides  and  at  the  mouth  of  the  Con- 
cord River.  A  ditch  to  mark  the  limits  of  this  reservation 
was  dug  in  1665,  and  the  place  was  called  Wamesit.  Traces 
of  this  ditch  are  still  visible.  From  this  period  the  Pawtucket 
and  Wamesit  Indians  were  blended  together  under  the  latter 
name.  Although  for  the  most  part  peaceable  and  friendly  to 
the  whites,  these  Indians  were  not  much  inclined  to  Chris- 
tianity, and  Mr.  Eliot  was  never  able  to  establish  a  church 
amongst  them.  He  had  the  pleasure,  however,  of  seeing  them 
adopt,  to  some  extent,  the  English  customs,  and  also  to  reckon 

*  Drake's  Book  of  the  Indians,  III,  94. 


1674]  WANNALANCET.  21 

among  his  converts,  not  only  the  great  chief  and  powwow  * 
Passaconnaway,  but  also  his  son  Wannalancet,  who  succeeded 
to  the  rule  of  the  tribe  on  the  death  of  his  father,  about  1662, 
and  who,  according  to  Gen.  Daniel  Gookin,  "  was  always 
loving  and  friendly  to  the  English." 

He  was  imprisoned  for  a  debt  of  £4$  in  1659,  tmt  set 
at  liberty  by  the  sale  of  the  small  island  Wicasuck,f  of 
about  sixty  acres,  in  the  Merrimack  River,  three  miles  above 
Pawtucket  Falls.  Fearing  an  attack  from  the  Mohawks  in 
1669,  he  came  down  the  Merrimack  River  with  a  party  of  the 
Pennacooks,  and  erected  a  fortification  on  what  is  now  called 
Fort  Hill  in  Lowell,  where  he  for  some  time  resided.  The 
settlers  of  Dunstable  were  alarmed  by  the  reports  concerning 
the  Mohawks,  and  withdrew  for  refuge  into  their  garrison 
house,:}:  where  they  doubtless  spent  many  a  long  and  sleep- 
less night  in  anticipation  of  the  wily  foe. 

During  his  visit  to  Wamesit,  May,  1674,  Mr.  Eliot  preached 
on  the  Parable  of  the  Virgin  (Matt,  xxii,  1-14),  in  the  house  of 
Wannalancet,  and  on  the  day  following  the  sachem  made  this 
declaration  :  — 

"  Sirs,  you  have  been  pleased  for  years  past,  in  your  abundant  love,  to 
apply  yourselves  particularly  unto  me  and  my  people  to  exhort,  press,  and 
persuade  us  to  pray  to  God.  I  am  very  thankful  to  you  for  your  pains. 
I  must  acknowledge  I  have  all  my  days  been  used  to  pass  in  an  old 
canoe,  and  now  you  exhort  me  to  change  and  leave  my  old  canoe  and 
embark  in  a  new  one,  to  which  I  have  hitherto  been  unwilling ;  but  now  I 
yield  up  myself  to  your  advice  and  enter  into  a  new  canoe,  and  do  engage 
to  pray  to  God  hereafter."  § 

*  These  powwows  answered  to  the  description  which  the  author  of  the  Anat- 
omy of  Melancholy  gives  to  Pythagoras,  being  "  part  philosopher,  part  magician, 
and  part  witch."  See  Memories  of  the  Indians  and  Pioneers  of  the  Region  of 
Loivell,  by  Charles  Cowley,  p.  5. 

t  The  General  Court  granted,  Oct.  n,  1665,  "to  Nobstow,  Wannalancet, 
Nonatomenut,  Indians,  the  island  called  Wicosucke."  It  was  previously  owned 
by  "  Mr.  John  Euered,  aljas  Webb  "  —  Records  of  the  Governor  and  Company  of 
Massachusetts  Bay,  Vol.  IV,  Pt.  2,  p.  285. 

| These  garrisons  "were  environed  by  a  strong  wall  of  stones  or  of  hewn 
timber,  built  up  to  the  eaves  of  the  houses,  through  which  was  a  gate,  fastened 
by  bars  and  bolts  of  iron.  They  were  lined  either  with  brick  or  thick  plank. 
Some  of  them  had  port-holes  for  the  discharge  of  musketry."  —  Allen's  History 
of  Chelmsford,  p.  148. 

§  Allen's  CAelmsford,  p.  156. 


22  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTA BLE.  [1675 

At  this  time  Wamesit  contained  about  two  hundred  and 
fifty  men,  beside  women  and  children.* 

Hardly  had  the  little  band  of  farmers  laid  the  foundation 
of  the  town  and  raised  their  first  rude  buildings  for  the 
protection  of  their  families,  when  they  were  startled  by  the 
intelligence  that  the  savages  were  in  arms  against  the  col- 
ony. 

In  the  spring  of  1675,  Philip  of  Pokanoket,  in  confederation 
with  most  of  the  other  sachems  of  New  England,  commenced 
hostilities,  with  the  determination  of  sweeping  the  hated  pale- 
faces from  the  country.  The  advance  of  the  savage  foe  was 
marked  by  fire  and  bloodshed,  and  town  after  town  was  laid  in 
ruins.  In  point  of  numbers,  position,  power  of  endurance,  and 
acquaintance  with  the  territory,  the  Indians  had  the  advan- 
tage ;  and  when,  in  addition  to  all  this,  we  consider  that  they 
had  learned  the  use  of  fire-arms,  that  they  fought  in  ambush, 
and  that  their  hatred  against  the  English  was  inveterate,  it  is 
almost  a  marvel  that  any  town  escaped  destruction. 

Dunstable,  an  outlying  frontier  in  the  wilderness,  was  pe- 
culiarly exposed.  The  Wamesit  Indians,  not  altogether  trust- 
worthy, were  on  the  east,  the  hostile  Pennacooks  on  the  north, 
and  the  nearest  towns  from  which  any  assistance  could  be  had 
were  Chelmsford  and  Groton,  on  the  south.  Seven  Indians 
at  work  for  Mr.  Jonathan  Tyng,  near  Wicasuck  Island,  fled  on 
hearing  of  the  outbreak  ;  and  Wannalancet,  ever  the  friend  of 
the  white  man,  retired  from  Wamesit,  and  sought  for  safety  in 
the  wilderness. 

In  a  petition  to  the  governor  and  his  council  by  Simon  Wil- 
lard,  Solomon  Adams,  James  Parker,  and  James  Kidder,  dated 
Groton,  Sept.  25,  1675,  it  is  stated  that  "our  prsent  thoughts 
are,  that  it  might  be  for  prsent  saftie  for  the  country,  that  a 
Garison  wear  settled  ouer  Merrimake  Riuer  about  donstable, 
that  ther  maye  be  enttercorse  betweene  our  towns  &  that 
Garison,?'  and  in  the  same  month  Capt.  Thomas  Brattle  and 
Lieut.  Thomas  Henchman  were  directed  "  to  draft  fifty  men  to 
form  garrisons  at  Dunstable,  Groton,  and  Lancaster"  ;  also  to 

*  Allen's  CAelmsford,  p.  141. 


1675]  JONATHAN  TYNG.  33 

"  send  a  runner  or  two  "  to  Wannalancet  to  persuade  him  to 
return  to  Wamesit. 

Although  these  instructions  were  obeyed,  the  feeling  of 
insecurity  became  so  great  that  the  inhabitants,  abandoning 
their  little  fort,  the  meeting-house  they  were  then  erecting, 
and  their  dwelling-houses,  which  had  now  begun  to  assume  a 
certain  air  of  comfort,  sought  protection  in  the  towns  of 
Chelmsford,  Concord,  Billerica,  and  Boston.  Joseph  Parker, 
constable  of  Dunstable  from  1675  to  1682,  was  wounded  in 
the  assault  on  Chelmsford,  March  20,  1676;  and  the  following 
entry  on  the  records  of  Billerica  shows  that  one  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Dunstable,  at  least,  found  a  refuge  in  this  town  :  "  10, 
12  mo.  1675.  Obedia  perry  belonging  to  Dunstable  towne 
(now  resident  at  Concord,  but  being  inforced  to  remove  from 
thence,  and  not  accounting  it  safe  at  ye  present  to  remove  to 
his  owne  at  Dunstable)  desiring  at  present  to  hire  a  house  at 
Billerica,  the  selectmen,  considering  his  condition,  do  grant 
him  liberty  to  hire  in  this  towne."*  He  was  subsequently 
killed  by  the  Indians  at  Dunstable.f 

One  heroic  man,  however,  braving  the  danger,  stood  firmly 
at  his  post  through  the  whole  war,  and  is  therefore  justly 
entitled  to  the  honor  of  being  the  first  permanent  settler  of 
the  town  of  Dunstable.  It  was  the  Hon.  Jonathan  Tyng,  son 
of  the  Hon.  Edward  and  Mary  Tyng,  who  was  born  Dec.  15. 
1642  ;  married  Sarah,  daughter,  of  Hezekiah  Usher,  early  re- 
moved from  Boston  to  Dunstable,  where  he  held  many  public 
offices;  and  died  Jan.  9,  1724.  His  father,  Edward  Tyng, 
came  to  Dunstable  in  1679,  and  died  here  Dec.  28,  1681,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-one  years.  The  house  of  Jonathan  Tyng 
stood  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Merrimack  River,  nearly  oppo- 
site Wicasuck  Island,  and  about  one  mile  below  the  central 
village  of  Tyngsborough.  It  was  long  known  as  "  the  haunted 
house."  Nothing  but  the  cellar-hole  now  remains.  Fortify- 
ing his  abode  as  best  he  could,  and  sending  to  Boston  for  his 
food,  this  brave  man  stood  alone  as  an  outpost  between  the 

*  Town  Records  of  Billerica,  Vol.  I,  p.  126. 
t  Dunstable  Town  Records. 


24  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1676 

enemy  and  the  settlements  below.  Finding  the  Indians 
approaching  him,  he  petitioned  *  the  General  Court  for  assist- 
ance Feb.  3,  1675-6,  and  several  soldiers  were  immediately 
sent  to  aid  in  his  defence ;  but  it  does  not  appear  that  any 
assault  was  made  upon  his  garrison. 

This  point  near  Wicasuck  Island  was  then  Dunstable,  and 
Jonathan  Tyng  individually  and  collectively  the  sole  repre- 
sentative Let  his  name  be  perpetually  held  in  memory !  The 
soldiers  sent  to  guard  his  house  were  detached  from  the  heroic 
Capt.  Samuel  Moseley's  company.  On  the  Qth  of  August,  1676, 
Mr.  Jonathan  Tyng  again  petitioned  the  General  Court  for  pay 
for  the  cost  of  his  garrison,  stating  that  he  "hath  been  of  great 
charge  and  cost  to  maintaine  his  garrison,  being  the  only  re- 
maining house  of  that  plantation,"  and  that  he  was  forced  to 
buy  meat  in  Boston.  He  also  presents  an  account  for  billet- 
ing "  1 8  of  Capt.  Moseley's  men  from  Aug.  13  to  Sept.  10, 
£,16  i6s.;  for  9  men  from  Sept.  1 1  to  Jan.  17,  ,£47  i8s.  ;  for 
6  men  from  Jan.  18  to  May  25,  ^25  3^.  ;  and  for  3  men  from 
May  26  to  July  14,  £%  8s.  Also  for  20  Ibs.  of  powder  at 
sundry  times  at  i8d  per  Ib.  &  250  bullets,  5-$-.,  delivered  for 
scouting."  Also,  "  for  2  horses  to  Pennycook  out  3  days,  is. 
6d"  f 

After  destroying  as  many  as  thirteen  towns  and  six  hun- 
dred colonists,  the  crafty  Philip  was  shot  at  Mount  Hope, 

*  "The  Petition  of  Jonathan  Tyng  Humbly  Sheweth  :  That  yr  Petitioner  living 
in  the  uppermost  house  on  Merrimac  River,  lying  open  to  ye  enemy,  yet  being  so 
seated  that  it  is  as  it  were  a  watch  house  to  the  neighbouring  towns,  from  whence 
we  can  easily  give  them  notice  of  the  approach  of  the  enemy,  and  may  also  be  of 
use  to  the  publique  in  many  respects  ;  also  are  near  unto  the  place  of  the  Indians 
ffishing,  from  which  in  the  season  thereof  they  have  great  supplies,  which  I  doubt 
not  but  we  may  be  a  great  means  of  preventing  them  thereof,  there  being  never  an 
inhabitant  left  in  the  town  but  myself:  — 

"  Wherefore  your  Petitioner  doth  humbly  request  that  your  Honors  would  be 
pleased  to  order  him  three  or  four  men  to  help  garrison  his  said  house,  which  he 
has  been  at  great  charge  to  ffortify,  and  may  be  of  service  to  the  publique  :  your 
favour  herein  shall  further  oblige  me  as  in  duty  bound  to  pray  for  a  blessing  on 
your  Councils,  and  remain 

"  Your  Honrables  humble  servant, 

"JONATHAN  TYNG. 

'•'  DUNSTABI.B,  Feb.  3,  1675-6." 
t  Massachusetts  Archives. 


1 6/6]  WICASUCK  ISLAND.  2$ 

R.  I.,  Aug.  12,  1676,  and  the  war  soon  brought  to  a  close.  A 
party  of  the  "  praying  Indians  "  at  Wamesit,  numbering  in  all 
about  sixty,  were  now  removed  to  Wicasuck  Island,  or  vicinity, 
and  placed  under  the  direction  of  Jonathan  Tyng,  who  had 
Robert  Parris  as  an  assistant  in  the  care  of  them.  Here,  it  is 
probable,  the  good  John  Eliot  occasionally  came  to  instruct  his 
converts  in  respect  to  the  principles  of  Christianity.  These 
praying  Indians  remained  at  Wicasuck  Falls  about  ten  years  ; 
and  on  their  departure  to  St.  Francis,  in  Canada,  in  1686, 
Wicasuck  Island  *  was  granted  to  Mr.  Tyng  in  compensation 
for  his  care  of  them.  He  was,  also,  together  with  Thomas 
Wheeler  and  son,  the  latter  of  whom  had  been  wounded,  remu- 
nerated for  losses  during  the  war. 

*  Dec.  5, 1683,  the  Court  granted  to  Mr.  Jonathan  Tyng  "  the  island  in  Merri- 
macke  River  called  Weikeset."     (Massachusetts  Archives.) 


2g  HISTORY  OF  DUNS  TABLE.  [1677 


CHAPTER    III. 

TOWN  OFFICERS.  —  THE  FIRST  MEETING-HOUSE.  —  REV.  THOMAS  WELD. — 
RESIDENT  LANDHOLDERS.  —  THE  TYNG  ESTATE.  —  THE  ORGANIZATION 
OF  THE  CHURCH.  —  NAMES  OF  THE  ORIGINAL  MEMBKRS.  —  THE  GREAT 
BRIDGE  AT  BII.LERICA.  —  THE  "BAY  PSALM  BOOK."  —  ALARM  FROM  THE 
INDIANS. — THE  GARRISONS.  —  SEVERAL  INHABITANTS  KILLED  BY  THE 
SAVAGES.  —  PETITION  TO  THE  GENERAL  COURT  FOR  SOLDIERS.  —  LETTER 
FROM  Gov.  STOUGHTON. — JOE  ENGLISH.  —  THE  FIRST  GRisr-MiiL. — 
NAMES  OF  THE  SETTLERS,  1689.  —  DEATH  OF  MR.  WELD.  —  ANOTHER 
GARRISON  ESTABLISHED.  —  CAPT.  JOHN  TYNG'S  EXPLOIT.  —  ROBIRT 
PARRIS  KILLED  BY  THE  INDIANS.  —  SAMUEL  BUTTERFIELD  AND  SAMUEL 
WHITING  TAKEN  CAPTIVES.  —  ATTACK  OF  THE  MOHAWKS.  —  RECORD  OF 
THOSE  KILLED.  —  JOE  ENGLISH  SLAIN.  —  AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  GARRI- 
SONS IN  1711.  —  CONDITION  OF  THE  PEOPLE.  —  REV.  SAMUEL  HUNT. — 
REV.  SAMUEL  PARRIS.  —  OTHER  MINISTERS.  —  SETTLEMENT  OF  THF  REV. 
NATHANIEL  PRENTICE.  —  BOUNDARY  BETWEEN  DUNSTABLE  AND  DRACUT. 

"  These  little  municipalities  were  the  nurseries  of  those  principles  of 
freedom,  and  trained  our  ancestors  to  that  capacity  of  administration  which 
has  made  us  a  great  nation  of  freemen,  extending  from  the  rising  to  the 
setting  sun."  RUFUS  P.  STEBBINS. 

"  Their  pious  toils,  their  just  rewards, 
•  Returning  tribute  claim  ; 

While  faithful  History  records 
Each  venerable  name." 

SAMUEL  DAVIS. 

AT  the  conclusion  of  the  war  one  family  after  another 
returned  to  their  deserted  homes  and  resumed  their  labors  in 
the  wilderness.  Town  officers  were  doubtless  chosen  imme- 
diately after  the  Act  of  Incorporation,  but  their  names  are  not 
preserved.  The  earliest  town  meeting  on  record  was  held  at 
Woburn,  Nov.  28,  1677,  when  Capt.  Thomas  Brattle,  of  Boston, 
and  one  of  the  largest  proprietors,  Capt.  Elisha  Hutchinson, 
of  Woburn,  Capt.  James  Parker,  of  Groton,  Abraham  Parker, 
of  the  same  place,  and  Mr.  Jonathan  Tyng  were  chosen  select- 


l6%2]  SELECTMEN  CHOSEN.  2/ 

men.  They  were  invested  with  much  more  power  than  such 
officers  possess  at  the  present  day,  and  it  was  left  with  them 
to  select  a  minister,  at  a  salary  of  "£50  per  annum,  to  be  paid 
in  money,  or  if  otherwise,  one  third  more  was  to  be  added 
thereto.  John  Sollendine,  a  carpenter,  was  engaged  to  com- 
plete the  unfinished  meeting-house,  which  was  probably  but 
little  more  than  a  log-shanty,  and  which  is  supposed  to  have 
stood  on  the  river  road,  then  not  much  better  than  an  Indian 
trail,  a  little  distance  from  the  present  northern  line  of  Tyngs- 
borough,  and  somewhere  between  "  the  Salmon  Brook  and  , 
the  house  of  Lieut.  Joseph  Wheeler."  It  was  finished  in  1678, 
but  there  is  no  account  of  any  dedication.  The  Rev.  Thomas 
Weld,  a  grandson  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Weld,  of  Roxbury,  one 
of  the  authors  of  the  celebrated  Bay  Psalm  Book,  published 
in  1640,  was  the  first  minister.  He  graduated  at  Harvard 
College  in  1671,  and  commenced  preaching  in  Dunstable  as 
early  as  May,  1679.  He  married,  Nov.  9,  1681,  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  John  Wilson,  of  Medfield,  and  built  a 
house  on  the  ministerial  lot.*  This  consisted  of  thirty  acres, 
and  entitled  the  occupant  to  the  use  of  six  hundred  acres  of 
the  common  or  undivided  territory.  For  his  encouragement 
in  the  ministry  the  town  granted  him,  in  1682,  a  twenty-acre 
lot,  but  at  that  period  the  land  was  of  but  little  value. 

Capt.  Thomas  Brattle,  Capt.  James  Parker,  Sergt.  John 
Cummings,  and  Robert  Parris  were  this  year  chosen  select,  or 
town's  men,  and  an  order  was  passed  that  the  lots  of  those 
neglecting  or  refusing  to  pay  their  taxes  "  be  sould  at  an  out- 
cry [auction]  on  the  next  public  meeting  day  after  such  neglect 
or  refus."  It  seems,  also,  that  a  pound  had  been  erected, 
since  John  Ackers  was  then  "  appointed  and  Imployed  to 
pound,  youke  and  Ringe  such  hogs  "  as  might  not  be  kept 
according  to  law. 

Although  the  town  had  at  this  time  laid  out  as  many  as 
eighty  "  thirty-acre  house-lots,"  and  had  as  many  as  thirty  fami- 
lies, the  following  land-owners  only  were  then  residents  of  the 


*  A  small  tributary  of  Howard's  Brook  is  called  Weld's  Brook,  probably  from 
the  circumstance  of  its  running  through  his  land. 


28  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1687 

place,  viz.,  John  Acres,  John  Blanchard,  John  Cummings, 
Sr.,  Thomas  Cummings,  Joseph  Hassell,  Thomas  Lund,  Joseph 
Parker,  Sr.,  Abraham  Parker,  John  Sollendine,  Jonathan 
Tyng,  Widow  Mary  Tyng,  and  Joseph  Wright.  Of  these,  the 
largest  landholder  was  the  gallant  Jonathan  Tyng,  who,  in 
consideration  of  ^23  due  him  by  the  town,  received  three 
thirty-acre  rights,  equivalent  in  all  to  about  1,800  acres.  This 
land,  with  large  accessions,  has  continued  in  the  Tyng  and 
Brinley  families  to  the  present  day,  and  extends  from  the  Mer- 
rimack  River,  about  six  miles  westward  by  one  mile  wide,  to 
the  Massapoag  Pond,  forming  a  large  part  of  the  town  of 
Tyngsborough.  It  is,  perhaps,  the  only  instance  in  Massa- 
chusetts where  such  an  extensive  territorial  domain  has 
remained  so  long  undivided  and  under  the  control  of  the 
descendants  of  the  original  proprietor. 

The  first  birth  mentioned  on  the  town  records,  and  this 
under  the  caption,  "  Lambs  born  in  Dunstable,"  is  that  of 
William,  son  of  Jonathan  and  Sarah  (Usher)  Tyng,  born  April 
22,  1679  '•>  anc*  the  first  marriage  is  that  of  John  Sollendine, 
Aug.  2,  of  the  year  ensuing. 

In  1684  a  new  meeting-house  was  built  after  the  dimen- 
sions of  that  in  Groton,  and  on  the  i6th  of  December,  1685,  a 
church  was  organized,  consisting  of  the  following  male  mem- 
bers: viz.,  John  Blanchard,  John  Cummings,  Sr.,  Samuel 
French,*  Obadiah  Perry,  Jonathan  Tyng,  and  Cornelius  Waldo. 
The  first  and  last  man  named  were  chosen  deacons,  and  on 
the  same  day  the  Rev.  Thomas  Weld  was  ordained  pastor. 

Previous  to  the  formation  of  the  church,  a  road  was  laid  out 
from  the  meeting-house  to  Groton  Centre,  probably  on  the 
old  Indian  trail,  as  far  as  Massapoag  Pond,  at  least ;  and  in 
1687  the  town  was  assessed  £i  12s.  ^d.  to  aid  in  building 

*  Samuel  French  was  a  son  of  Lieut.  William  French,  who  came  in  the  "  De- 
fence" from  London,  1635,  and  settled  in  Cambridge,  then  in  Billerica.  He  was 
born  in  Cambridge,  Dec.  3,  1645,  removed  to  Dunstable,  where  he  married  Sarah, 
daughter  of  John  Cummings,  Sr.,  Dec.  24,  1682.  One  of  his  sons,  John,  born  in 
May,  1691,  was  the  father  of  Ebenezer  French,  of  Revolutionary  memory  ;  another 
son,  Ebenezer,  born  April  7,  1693,  was  killed  by  the  Indians,  at  Naticook,  Sept. 
5,  1724.  Still  another,  Jonathan,  born  Feb.  i,  1704,  was  a  deacon,  and  died  Nov. 
17,  1757- 


1689]  <**'  ASSAULT  AVERTED.  29 

what  was  long  called  "  the  Great  Bridge "  over  the  Concord 
River  near  "  the  Fordway  "  in  Billerica,  this  being  then  on  the 
main  route  of  travel  to  Boston.  At  a  town  meeting  held  on  the 
2 1st  of  May  of  the  year  ensuing,  Samuel  Gould  was  chosen 
"  dog-whipper  for  the  meeting-house,"  —  an  office  then  almost 
indispensable,  since  the  country  was  infested  with  wild  ani- 
mals as  well  as  Indians,  and  for  defence  the  settler  used  to 
take  his  dog  and  gun  with  him  to  church.  The  Bay  Psalm 
Book  was  at  this  lime  the  manual  of  song.  The  words  of 
the  psalm  as, 

"  O  all  yee  servants  of  the  Lord 
Behold  the  Lord  bless  yee  ; 
Yee  who  within  Jehovahs  house 
I'  the  night  time  standing  bee," 

were  "lined  out"  by  one  of  the  deacons,  and  sung  to  some 
such  tune  as  "  Hackney  "  or  "  York  Tune"  by  the  congrega- 
tion standing. 

The  great  English  Revolution  came  on  in  1688,  the  house  of 
Stuart  fell,  and  in  consequence  a  contest  between  France  and 
England  followed,  known  in  history  as  "  King  William's  War." 
Instigated  by  the  French  Jesuits,  the  Indians  again  set  out 
upon  the  war-path,  and  committed  many  ravages  upon  the  towns 
along  the  frontier.  On  the  /th  of  July,  1689,  they  commenced 
their  bloody  work  by  assaulting  Dover,  killing  Major  Richard 
Waldron,  together  with  twenty  of  his  men,  and  carrying  about 
thirty  of  the  inhabitants  into  captivity. 

An  attack  on  Dunstable  was  at  the  same  time  intended, 
but  it  was  fortunately  averted  IDV  information  seasonably  given 
by  two  friendly  Indians  to  Major  Thomas  Henchman,  then 
commander  of  the  little  garrison  at  Pawtucket  Falls,  and  two 
companies  of  twenty,  subsequently  reinforced  by  fifty  men, 
were  promptly  sent  to  scour  the  country  from  Lancaster  to 
Dunstable  and  defend  the  people.*  Major  Henchman  also 
ordered  forty  men  from  the  towns  exposed  to  danger  to  scout 
the  wilderness  for  the  enemy  for  a  brief  period,  and  asked  the 
government  for  twenty  more  to  guard  the  houses  of  Messrs. 

*  See  the  order  for  this,  Massachusetts  Archives,  Vol.  CVII,  p.  169. 


30  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [169 1 

Varnum,  Howard,  and  Coburn,  which  were  prominently  ex- 
posed to  an  assault.  The  garrisons  at  this  time  were  at  or 
*  near  the  dwelling-houses  of-Jonathan  Tyng,  Edward  Colburn, 
Nathaniel  Howard,  on  Holden's  Brook  ;  Sergt  Varnum,  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  Merrimack  River  ;  and  one  was  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  church.  The  danger  to  which  the  few  settlers  in  this 
frontier  plantation  were  then  exposed,  and  the  sufferings  they 
experienced,  may  be  inferred  from  the  following  petition  in 
Vol.  CVII,  page  230,  of  the  Massachusetts  Archives  :  — 

DUNSTABLE,  ye  July  23,  1689. 

To  the  Honorable,  Gouernor  and  Councill  &  Company  of  Represent- 
atives now  assembled  at  Boston,  the  Petition  of  the  Inhabitants  of 
Dunstable  humbly  sheweth  that  wee  are  much  obliged  to  your  Honors  for 
your  last  Supply  of  Men  notwithstanding  finding  ourselves  still  weak  and 
unable  both  to  keep  our  Garrisons,  and  to  send  men  out  to  get  hay  for 
our  Cattle,  without  doeing  which  wee  cannot  subsist ;  we  doe  therefore, 
humbly  Intreat  your  Honours  to  send  and  supply  us  with  twenty  footmen 
for  the  Space  of  a  month  to  scout  about  the  towne  while  we  get  our  hay  ; 
and  the  towne  being  very  bare  of  provision  by  reason  of  billeting  soul- 
diers  all  the  last  winter,  we  doe  therefore,  intreat  your  Honours  to  send  a 
supply  of  meat,  for  bread  we  can  supply,  and  without  this  help  we  cannot 
subsist,  but  must  be  forced  to  draw  of  and  leave  the  towne.  Hoping 
your  Honours  will  Consider  us  in  this  request,  wee  Remaine  your  ser- 
vants ever  to  pray  for  you.  Subscribed  by  the  select  Men  in  the  name  of 

the  towne. 

JOHN  BLANCHARD, 
JOHN   LOVEWELL, 
ROBT.   PARRIS, 
CHRISTOPHER  READ, 
SAMUEL  WHITING. 

Although  four  Indian  spies  w«re  seen  lurking  around  one  of 
the  garrisons  at  Dunstable  about  the  time  of  the  massacre 
at  Dover,  such  was  the  promptitude  of  Major  Henchman, 
Jonathan  Tyng,  Sergt.  Varnum,  and  others,  that  no  attack  was 
then  made  on  the  town ;  yet  the  enemy  was  bent  on  its 
destruction,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  2d  of  September,  1691, 
suddenly  appeared  and  murdered  five  of  the  inhabitants.  The 
atrocious  deed  is  thus  recorded  :  — 

"Anno  Domini  1691.  Joseph  Hassell  senior,  Anna  Hassell,  his  wife, 
Benj.  Hassell,  their  son,  were  slain  by  our  Indian  enemies  on  Sept  2nd 
jn  the  evening.  Mary  Marks,  the  daughter  of  Peter  Marks,  was  slain 
by  the  Indians  also  on  Sept.  2nd  day  in  the  evening." 


1 697] 


MRS.   HANNAH  DUSTON. 


On  the  morning  of  the  28th  of  the  same  month,  the  foe  again 
appeared  in  Dunstable,  and  murdered  two  more  of  the  people, 
one  of  whom,  Obadiah  Perry,  as  we  have  said,  had  been 
allowed  to  hire  a  house  in  Billerica  during  King  Philip's  War. 
The  brief  record  of  the  tragedy  is  :  — 

"  Obadiah  Perry  and  Christopher  "Temple  dyed  by  the  hand  of  our 
Indian  enemies  on  September,  the  twenty-eighth  day,  in  the  morning." 

It  does  not  appear  that  Dunstable  was  disturbed  by  the 
Indians  in  the  summer  1694,  when  they  made  their  great 
assault  on  Groton.  The  following  letter  from  Gov.  William 
Stoughton  to  Capt.  James  Converse,  of  Woburn,  dated  Boston, 
Sept.  5,  1695,  evinces  the  danger  to  which  Dunstable  and  other 
frontier  settlements  were  exposed,  and  the  desire  of  the  gov- 
ernment to  protect  them  :  — 

"  I  order  That  at  your  next  passing  over  Merrimack  with  your  Company 
towards  Dunstable  etc  That  you  advise  with  Majr  Henchman  and  Mr. 
Jona  Ting  concerning  the  posting  of  yor  men  in  the  several  Frontiers  of 
Dunstable,  Bilrica  Chelmsford  Groton,  Lancaster  and  Marlboro  for  the 
better  inforcem'  of  the  Garrisons  there  &  maintaining  a  good  brisk  Scout 
for  the  discovery  of  the  Enemy  to  prevent  their  annoying  of  those  Towns 
during  the  Harvest  Season."  * 

Brave  and  hardy  as  the  original  settlers  were,  such  was  their 
exposed  situation,  and  such  the  havoc  of  the  Indians  in  other 
towns,  that  by  the  year  1696  nearly  two  thirds  of  them  had 
abandoned  the  place,  and  on  this  account  the  State  made  an 
abatement  of  £,$0  to  the  town  for  the  taxes  of  such  as  had 
deserted  it.  For  the  same  reason  ^30  were  granted  by  the 
State  to  help  the  town  support  the  minister.  The  State  also 
voted,  Oct.  28,  1697,  £20  "  towards  ye  mentainance  of  the  min- 
istry at  ye  Garrisons  &  Towne."  f  The  garrisons  were  now 
under  the  care  of  the  brave  Jonathan  Tyng,  and  he  was  allowed 
£20  for  keeping  the  friendly  sachem  Wannalancet,  who  had 
again  returned  to  his  favprite  abode  at  Wicasuck  Island. 

In  April,  1697,  the  celebrated  heroine,  Mrs.  Hannah  Duston, 
on  her  way  to  Boston  from  Contocook,  N.  H.,  where  she  had, 
with  Mary  Neff  and  a  boy,  taken  the  scalps  of  ten  Indians, 

*Dr.  Samuel  A.  Green's  Historical  Address  at  Groton,  July  4,  1876,  p.  78. 
t  Massachusetts  Archives,  Vol.  XI,  p.  126. 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


[1698 


passed  through  the  town  in  a  canoe,  and  was  kindly  enter- 
tained by  Col.  Jonathan  Tyng. 

Another  friendly  Indian,  Joe  English,  returned  from  cap- 
tivity to  his  home  in  Dunstable  in  1698,  and  was  allowed  £6 
by  the  General  Court  for  services  "  in  giving  intelligence  of 
the  motions  of  the  enemy." 

The  first  grist-mill  in  town  was  owned  by  Samuel  Adams, 
and  was  established  at  "  The  Gulf"  at  Massapoag  Pond  prior 
to  July,  1689,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  following  petition  for 
men  to  defend  it  from  the  Indians  :  — 

"Julyye3i,  1689.  The  humble  petission  of  the  Towne  of  Dunstable, 
To  the  honerable  gouernor  &  Council!  &  Company  of  the  Representatives 
now  assembled  :  in  behalf  of  Samuell  Addams  owner  of  a  Corn  mill  with- 
out the  use  of  which  mill  the  Towne  Cannot  subsist  And  therefore  we 
doe  intreat  your  honers  to  allow  such  a  number  of  men  as  may  be  able  to 
secure  it.  And  so  we  remain  your  humble  devotes  ever  to  pray.  By  the 
selectmen  in  the  name  of  the  towne,  John  blanchard,  John  Lovewell,  Chris- 
topher Reed,  Samuel  Whiting,  Robert  Parris."  * 

The  town  raised  this  year  a  small  sum  of  money  to  join 
with  other  towns  in  rebuilding  "  the  great  bridge  "  over  Con- 
cord River  in  Billerica  ;  and  in  the  year  ensuing,  the  minister's 
rate  was  £17  2s.  2d.,  in  addition  to  which  he  was  to  be  sup- 
plied with  nineteen  cords  of  wood.  The  names  of  those  who 
contributed  to  "  the  wood  rate,"  or  of  all  the  heads  of  families 
then  in  town,  are,  Joseph  Blanchard,  Nathaniel  Blanchard, 
J  Thomas  Blanchard,  Abraham  Cummings,  John  Cummings, 
Nathaniel  Cummings,  Thomas  Cummings,  Samuel  French, 
Daniel  Galusha,  William  Harwood,  Joseph  Hassell,  John 
Lovewell,f  Thomas  Lund,  Robert  Parris,  Mr.  Samuel  Searles, 

*  See  Massachusetts  State  Archives,  Vol.  CVII,  p.  242  ;  see  also  Butler's 
History  of  Groton,  p.  246. 

t  Father  of  Capt.  /ohn  Lovewell,  the  famous  Indian  fighter,  and  also  of  Col. 
Zaccheus  Lovewell,  who  served  in  the  old  French  War.  He  is  said,  but  not  on 
good  authority,  to  have  been  an  ensign  in  Cromwell's  army  about  1653,  and  to 
have  died  about  1  754,  at  the  remarkable  age  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  years. 
He  is  known  to  have  served  in  King  Philip's  War,  but  I  find  no  proof  of  his  having 
lived  one  hundred  and  twenty  years.  He  was  a  good  man,  and  was  intrusted 
with  'many  town  offices.  When  or  where  he  was  born,  or  where  buried,  I  have 
not  been  able  to  ascertain.  —  See  Kidder's  Expeditions  of  Capt.  John  Lovewell, 
p.  89. 


A  J 


>  »•• 


1702]  A    GARRISON  ESTABLISHED.  «   33 

John  Sollendine,  Major  Jonathan  Tyng,  Robert  Usher.  Mr. 
Thomas  Weld,  and  Mr.  Samuel  Whiting.* 

In  point  of  population  Dunstable  was  at  this  time  the 
smallest  town  in  the  province,  and  but  for  the  indomitable 
perseverance  and  courage  of  Major  Jonathan  Tyng,  Lieut. 
Samuel  French,  John  Lovewell,  Samuel  Whiting,  and  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Weld,  must  have  been  again  abandoned. 

In  1702  the  town  was  called  to  deplore  the  loss  of  its  hon- 
ored pastor;  the  Rev.  Thomas  Weld,  who  died  on  the  ninth 
day  of  June,  and  was  buried  in  the  old  cemetery  near  his 
church.  His  first  wife,  Elizabeth,  is  buried  beside  him,  and  a 
rude,  flat  stone,  placed  above  her  grave,  bears  this  inscription  : 
"  Here  Lyeth  the  body  of  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Weld,  the  wife  of 
Mr.  Thomas  Weld,  aged  about  31  years,  who  died  on  July  the 
29th,  in  the  year  1687."  A  similar  stone,  without  any  inscrip- 
tion, lies  over  the  remains  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Weld.  There  is 
no  proof  that  he  was  killed,  as  Mr.  John  Farmer  in  his 
Gazetteer  has  asserted,  by  the  Indians.  Mr.  Weld  was  noted 
for  his  piety,  and  highly  respected  by  his  people.  He  married, 
for  his  second  wife,  Widow  Hannah  Savage,  daughter  of  the 
Hon.  Edward  Tyng.  His  son,  Habijah  Savage  Weld,  born  in 
September,  1702,  H.  C.  1723,  was  ordained  in  Attleborough 
in  1727,  and  died  in  that  town  in  1782,  at  the  age  of  eighty 
years.  His  mother,  Hannah  Savage  Weld,  died  at  his  house 
in  1731. 

King  William's  War,  closed  by  the  treaty  of  Ryswick  in 
1698,  was  followed  by  a  brief  interval  of  peace  ;  but  desirous 
of  sustaining  the  cause  of  Charles  Stuart,  the  Pretender,  Louis 
XIV  again  became  embroiled  with  England,  and  what  was 
called  "  Queen  Anne's  War"  commenced  in  1702,  and  con- 
tinued ten  years,  involving  the  colonists  in  many  sanguinary 
conflicts  with  the  Indians,  who,  as  usual,  took  part  with  the 
French.  Another  garrison  was  established  for  the  defence  \^ 
of  Dunstable,  and  manned  Dec.  25,  1702,  by  the  following 
soldiers,  viz.  :  "  William  Tyng,  Lieutenant,  John  Bowers,  Ser- 

*  His  father,  the   Rev.  Samuel  Whiting,  of  Billerica,  had  received  from  his 
father,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Whiting,  of  Lynn,  an  extensive  tract  of  land  in  Dunsta- 
ble, and  this  was  probably  the  reason  of  his  coming  to  live  in  the  town. 
3 


34     •  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l?O4 

geant,  Joseph  Butterfield,  Drummer,  John  Spalding,  John 
Cummings,  Joseph  Hassell,  Ebenezer  Spalding,  Daniel  Galu- 
sha,  Paul  Fletcher,  Samuel  French,  Thomas  Lund,  Jonathan 
Tyng,  Lieut.-Colonel." 

During  the  month  of  August,  1703,  the  French  and  Indians 
assaulted  various  settlements  along  the  northeastern  frontier, 
and  either  killed  or  led  into  captivity  'more  than  two  hundred 
people.  In  consequence  of  these  aggressions  the  government 
offered  a  reward  of  ^40  for  every  Indian  scalp  brought  in. 
Capt.  John  Tyng,  with  a  small  band  of  followers,  proceeded  to 
Pequawket,  through  the  deep  snows  of  winter  in  1703-4,  and 
succeeded  in  obtaining  five  scalps,  for  which  he  received  ,£200. 
He  was  the  oldest  son  of  the  brave  Col.  Jonathan  Tyng,  and 
had  grown  up  in  immediate  contact  with  the  Indians,  and  in 
August,  1710,  was  waylaid  and  killed  by  them. 

In  the  early  part  of  this  war  Mr.  Robert  Parris,  his  wife  and 
oldest  daughter,  were  massacred  by  the  enemy.  His  two 
other  daughters  escaped  by  creeping  into  a  hogshead  in  the 
cellar  and  remaining  quietly  concealed  until  the  savages  had 
left  the  house.  One  of  them  afterwards  married  Mr.  Goffe, 
father  of  the  celebrated  Col.  John  Goffe.* 

On  the  3d  of  November,  1 704,  the  sum  of  £24.  was  ordered 
by  the  General  Court  to  Jonathan  Tyng,  Esq.,  for  building 
four  block  houses  on  the  Merrimack  River,  "  one  in  Billerica, 
two  in  Chelmsford,  and  one  in  Dunstable."  f 

In  a  petition  of  William  Tyng  to  the  General  Court,  Nov. 
1 8,  1704,  he  says  :  — 

"  That  just  before  the  Mischief  was  done  at  Lancaster  yor  Petitioner 
was  in  Boston  &  by  his  Excellency  was  ordered  down  forthwith  to  his 
Post,  to  go  by  Dunstable  &  thence  to  Lancaster  which  yor  Petitioner 
accordingly  did,  and  rode  thither  upon  his  own  Horse  which  he  turned 
into  a  pasture  there,  &  the  next  morning  the  Horse  was  by  the  Indians 
taken  out  of  the  said  pasture  &  driven  into  the  woods  where  they  killed  & 
ate  the  sd  Horse.  And  farther  yor  Petitioner  showeth  that  one  John 
Spalding  who  was  a  soldier  under  his  command  was  killed  in  that  action, 
&  his  gun  taken  by  the  Indians,  &  he  being  a  very  good  soldier  (tho'  a 
youth)  &  the  gun  being  his  ffathers  who  is  very  poor  —  yor  Petitioner 
therefore  humbly  prays  this  great  &  General  Assembly  to  take  the  prem- 

*  Farmer  and  Moore's  Historical  Collections,  p.  306. 
t  Massachusetts  Archives,  Vol.  LXXI,  p.  83. 


A  SURPRISE. 


35 


ises  into  consideration  &  that  he  may  have  such  satisfaction  &  recompents 
made  him  for  the  loss  of  his  Horse  and  the  ffather  of  the  young  man  for 
the  loss  of  his  Gun  as  this  great  &  Generous  Assembly  shall  Deem  meet, 
—  and  yor  Petitioner  shall  ever  pray. 

"WM.  TYNG." 

He  petitioned  the  Court  again,  June  26,  1705,  for  pay  for 
expenses  of  his  march  to  Norridgewock  the  preceding  winter, 
where  he  lost  several  men,  among  whom  was  Eleazer  Parker, 
who  left  a  widow  and  several  children.* 

Among  those  taken  captive  in  this  war  were  Richard  Has- 
sell,  son  of  Joseph  Hassell,  Samuel  Butterfield,f  who  was 
cruelly  treated,  and  who  killed  one  of  the  Indians  after  being 
captured,  and  Samuel  Whiting,  son  of  the  Rev  Samuel  Whit- 
ing, of  Billerica.  He  made  his  escape  from  Canada,  whither 
he  had  been  carried,  and  in  consequence  of  wounds  and  suffer- 
ings, received  in  June,  1713,  a  grant  of  ^10  from  the  Assembly. 

On  the  night  of  the  3d  of  July,  1706,  a  party  of  two  hundred 
and  seventy  Mohawk  Indians  suddenly  assaulted  a  garrison 
house,$  in  which  Capt.  Pearson,  of  Rowley,  and  twenty  of  his 
"troopers,"  who  had  .been  ranging  the  woods,  were  posted. 
The  company  was  taken  by  surprise,  for  the  door  had  been 
left  open  and  no  watch  appointed.  Mr.  Curnmings  and  his 
wife,  it  is  said,  had  gone  out  at  the  close  of  .  the  day  for  milk- 
ing, when  the  Indians  shot  Mrs.  Curnmings  dead,  wounded 

*  See  Massachusetts  Archives. 

t  John  Shepley,  of  Groton,  petitioned  the  General  Court,  Oct.  25,  1704,  for  some 
compensation  for  killing  an  Indian  from  a  party  of  about  twenty,  who,  taking 
advantage  of  the  absence  of  the  troops,  made  an  assault  upon  some  men  who 
were  reaping  or  warding  in  a  field  at  Groton.  In  his  petition  Mr.  Shepley  says  : 
"  The  sd  Indians  made  several  shott  at  the  English,  but  amongst  the  rest,  one 
lusty  stout  Indian  with  a  Holland  shirt  on  ran  about  8  or  10  Rodd  side  by  side 
with  yr  Petitioner  &  the  other  3  men  in  his  company,  about  10  Rodd  to  the  right 
hand  of  them  when  he  upon  us,  and  as  soon  as  he  had  fired  yor  Petitioner  fired, 
being  loaded  with  a  slugg  &  another  of  the  company  at  the  same  time  fired  a  bullet 
at  him  whereupon  the  sd  Indian  fell  down  and  cryd  out  :  Those  men  3  of  our  first 
Company  killed  or  carryd  away.  Afterwards  ye  sd  Indian  was  found  dead  &  a 
slugg  &  Bullet  in  his  Body,  his  scalp  being  sent  up  to  his  Excellency  by  Major 
Taylor." 

The  General  Court,  Oct.  27,  1704,  granted  ^4  to  John  Shepley,  and  the  same 
sum  to  Samuel  Butterfield,  "who,  this  House  is  informed,  did  assist  in  the  killing 
of  the  Indian  mentioned  in  the  petition."  (Massachusetts  Archives,  XXX,  496,  497.) 

t  Probably  that  of  John  Cummings,  which  stood  on  the  right  hand  of  the  road 
*rom  D  unstable  to  Tyngsborough,  about  one  half-mile  from  the  former  place. 


36  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1706 

her  husband  and  took  him  captive.  Rushing  into  the  house, 
they  were  amazed  to  find  it  filled  with  soldiers,  as  these  in 
turn  were  astonished  to  see  themselves  thus  suddenly  in  the 
presence  of  the  savages.  After  a  bloody  fight,  during  which 
several  of  Capt.  Pearson's  men  were  either  killed  or  wounded, 
the  savages  attacked  and  burned  the  house  of  Daniel  Galusha, 
a  Dutchman,  living  on  Salmon  Brook.  Here  one  woman  was 
killed,  and  another  made  her  escape  from  the  flames  by  loosen- 
ing the  stones  around  a  small  window,  pressing  herself  through 
it,  and  concealing  herself  in  the  underbrush  until  the  enemy 
had  withdrawn.  It  appears,  also,  that  a  party  of  these  Indians 
on  the  same  fatal  day  entered  the  garrison  house  of  Nathaniel 
Blanchard,  and  murdered  himself,  his  wife  Lydia,  his  daughter 
Susannah,  and  also  Mrs.  Hannah  Blanchard.  These  tragic 
events  are  but  thus  briefly  noticed  in  the  records  of  the  town  :  — 

"Nathaniel  Blanchard  dyed  on  July  the  3rd  at  night,  1706.  Lydia 
Blanchard,  wife  of  Nathaniel  Blanchard,  and  Susannah  Blanchard, 
daughter  of  Nath'l  Blanchard,  dyed  on  July  3rd  at  night  in  the  year  1706. 
Mrs.  Hannah  Blanchard  dyed  on  July  the  3rd  at  night  in  the  year  1706. 
Goody  Cummings,  the  wife  of  John  Cummings,  dyed  on  July  the  3rd  at 
night.  Rachael  Galusha  died  on  July  the  3d,  1706." 

What  terrible  days  and  nights  were  these  !  The  Rev.  John 
Pike,  of  Dover,  wrote  in  his  journal,  "  The  whole  number  said 
to  have  been  slain  in  Dunstable  at  this  time  was  nine  persons." 

The  celebrated  Joe  English  was  shot  by  the  enemy  near 
'  Holden's  Brook  on  the  2/th  of  July  of  the  same  year.  He 
and  another  soldier  were  acting  as  a  guard  to  Capt.  Butterfield 
and  his  wife,  who  were  making  a  journey  through  what  is 
now  Tyngsborough.  The  Indians  shot  the  horse  on  which 
these  people  were  riding,  and  then  taking  Mrs.  Butterfield 
captive,  while  her  husband  made  his  escape,  pursued  Joe 
English,  firing  upon  him  as  he  attempted  to  gain  a  woody 
covert  until  he  fell,  wounded  and  exhausted,  into  their  unpity- 
ing  hands.  Knowing  the  exquisite  torture  to  which  they 
would  subject  him,  he  at  once  provoked  them  by  some  taunt- 
ing words  to  anger,  when  they  immediately  despatched  him 
with  their  tomahawks.  His  widow  and  two  children  received  a 
grant  of  money  from  the  government  because  "  he  died  in  the 
service  of  his  country."  He  was  daring,  intelligent,  of  manly 

4  \ 


HOUSES  FORTIFIED. 


37 


/ 

bearing,  and  always  faithful  to  the  English  people.    His  grand- 
father was  Masconnomet,  Sagamore  of  Agawam,  now  Ipswich. 

During  this  long,  and,  to  the  colonists,  exhausting  war,  the  \\ 
few  families  of  Dunstable  lived  in  garrison  houses ;  that  is, 
dwelling-houses  surrounded  with  palisades,  or  with  a  wall  of 
stone  or  timber  rising  to  the  roof  Through  this  wall  there 
was  a  gate  made  of  plank  and  secured  with  iron  bolts.  Port- 
holes were  made  in  various  places,  and  the  underbrush  was 
cleared  away  from  the  vicinity  of  the  garrison  in  order  that 
the  approach  of  the  enemy  might  be  seen. 

Ensign  Farwell,  Thomas  Lund,  and  Joseph  Blanchard,  se- 
lectmen in  1710,  petitioned  the  Assembly  for  aid  in  supporting 
the  ministry;  and  in  1711,  the  selectmen,  Joseph  Farwell, 
John  Cummings,  and  Joseph  Blanchard,  received  £10  from  the 
Assembly  towards  the  payment  of  the  salary  of  Mr.  Parris.* 

In  the  year  1711  there  were  seven  fortified  houses  in  Dun- 
stable,  and  they  were  named  as  follows  :  —  f 


No.  of 
Families. 

"3s 
d"« 
fcS 

"ofe 

o'-5 
fc"o 
in 

"s 

'o 
H 

i.     Col.  Jonathan  Tyng's   .... 

I 

I 

6 

8 

2.     Mr.  Henry  Farwell's    .... 

3 

3 

2 

28 

3.     Mr.  John  Cummings's  .... 

2 

2 

2 

21 

4.     Col.  Samuel  Whiting's     .     .     . 

3 

0 

I 

8 

5.     Mr.  Thomas  Lund's     .... 

i 

6.     Queen's  Garrison     

2 

I 

21 

7.     Mr.  John  Sollendine's  .... 

I 

O 

4 

Total  

17 

7 

10 

86 

The  people,  now  reduced  to  this  small  number,  lived  in  con- 
stant  dread  of  the  lurking  and  insidious  foe.  They  spent 
much  of  their  time  shut  up  in  the  garrisons,  and  but  little 
improvement  was  made  in  the  aspect  of  the  town.  They 

*  Massachusetts  Archives,  Vol.  II,  p.  326. 
t  See  Massachusetts  Records,  Military,  1711. 


38 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


dressed  in  plain  garments  of  their  own  making  ;  they  lived  on 
frugal  fare,  and  had  but  slender  opportunity  for  the  cultivation 
of  their  minds.  They  carried  the  loaded  musket  with  them  as 
they  ventured  forth  to  labor  in  the  fields  ;  they  carried  it  with 
them  to  the  church.  They  had  but  little  time  for  tillage,  but 
little  land  in  tilth  ;  their  crops  were  consequently  very  slen- 
der, and  they  themselves  most  sadly  destitute  of  the  common 
supplies  of  life.  Had  not  fish,  game,  nuts,  and  berries  been 
abundant,  they  must  have  been  compelled  to  relinquish  the 
lands  which  had  been  granted  to  them  and  to  return  into  the 
older  settlements. 

But  peace  was  at  length  insured  by  the  treaty  of  Utrecht, 
April  u,  1713  ;  the  doors  of  the  garrisons  at  Dunstable  were 
thrown  open,  and  the  hope  of  general  prosperity  began  again 
to  animate  the  breasts  of  the  people.  The  town  rapidly  in- 
creased in  numbers.  Some  of  the  large  tracts  of  lands,  origi- 
nally granted,  were  sold  in  sections  for  the  accommodation 
of  small  farmers,  and  other  inducements  were  held  out  for 
increasing  the  number  of  the  inhabitants. 

At  the  time  of  the  death  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Weld,  the  town 
was  so  reduced  in  respect  to  population  as  to  be  unable  then 
to  settle  another  minister.  In  a  petition  to  the  General 
Court,  March  8,  1703-4,  it  is  said  that  the  inhabitants  "can 
never  hear  a  sermon  without  travelling  more  than  twelve  miles 
from  their  principal  post."  In  answer  to  this  petition,  which 
was  signed  by  Samuel  Whiting,  William  Tyng,  and  Joseph 
Blanchard,  selectmen,  the  Court  granted  ^20  towards  «the 
support  of  the  ministry.  The  Rev.  Samuel  Hunt,  H.  C.  1700, 
supplied  the  pulpit  for  many  months,  until  April  23,  1707, 
when  he  was  dismissed  to  go  as  chaplain  to  Port  Royal.  The 
Rev.  Samuel  Parris,  in  whose  family  the  Salem  witchcraft 
commenced  by  the  accusation  of  Tituba  in  1692,  began  to 
preach  in  Dunstable  as  early  as  Oct.  I  of  the  year  ensuing) 
and  he  remained  here  about  four  years. 

He  was  followed  by  the  Rev.  Amos  Cheever,  H.  C.  1707, 
who  labored  here  at  a  salary  of  ^40  per  annum  from  1713  to 
1715  ;  subsequent  to  this,  a  call  was  extended  to  the  Rev. 
John  Pierpont  of  Reading  to  settle  at  a  salary  of  ^80  a  year  ; 
the  Rev.  Enoch  Coffin,  of  Newbury,  H.  C.  1714,  was  then 


1723] 


A   PERAMBULATION. 


invited  to  become  the  pastor  of  the  church,  but  he  also 
declined  the  invitation.  Thus  one  minister  after  another  sup- 
plied the  pulpit  at  Dunstable  until  Aug.  20,  1720,  when  the 
town  gave  a  call  to  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  Prentice,  H.  C.  1714, 
to  settle  in  the  ministry  with  the  same  salary  before  offered  to 
Mr.  Coffin,  and  a  "settlement"  of  ^100.  It  was  also  voted, 
Dec.  8  of  the  same  year,  that  after  his  marriage  Mr. 
Prentice  "  should  have  a  sufficient  supply  of  wood,  or  ten 
pounds  of  passable  money  in  lieu  thereof  yearly."  He  had  at 
this  time  probably  been  ordained,  and  not  long  afterwards 
married  Mary,  daughter  of  Col.  Jonathan  Tyng. 

PERAMBULATION    OF   THE    BOUNDARY    BETWEEN    DUNSTABLE    AND 

DRACUT. 

DECEMBR  In  ye  year  1723. 

Renewing  the  bounds  between  Dunstable  and  Dracut  by  order  of  the 
selectmen  of  Each  town  beginning  at  a  pine  tree  on  the  North  side  of 
beaver  Brook  in  Sight  of  sd  Brook  being  marked  and  lettered  with  E  it 
being  fallen  down  we  have  Laid  stones  about  it  from  thence  Running 
Southard  by  the  old  marked  trees  many  of  them  Lettered  \vth  D  D  til  we 
came  Near  to  a  place  Called  Stone  Dam  then  Not  finding  the  old  bounds 
we  agreed  both  parties  to  mark  a  pine  wh  stands  on  the  East  Side  of 
beaver  Brook  four  Rods  from  Sd  Dam  wh  tree  is  Lettered  wth  D  D  and 
stands  by  it  wh  frsd  tree  &  Stone  both  parties  a  Greed  to  be  a  bound  between 
Sd  Towns  from  Sd  bound  tree  Running  Southward  to  a  pine  tree  marked 
and  Lettered  D  D  So  Running  to  a  pine  marked  and  stones  about  it  Near 
to  a  pine  tree  wh  is  called  the  Southeast  angle  of  Henry  Kimbles  farm  & 
from  Sd  pine  tree  we  Renewed  the  old  bounds  to  Long  pond  then  Run- 
ning by  the  pond  Part  of  the  way  to  an  oak  tree  then  the  Sd  bound  Lost 
both  Comittyes  a  Greed  upon  a  Line  off  marked  trees  Crag  Rock  to  be 
the  bounds  between  Sd  towns  wh  trees  are  lettered  wth  D.  D.  and  then  we 
Renewed  the  old  bounds  to  marrimac  River  this  is  our  mutual  agreement 
that  the  Sd  lines  shall  stand  good  for  Ever  and  it  is  a  Greed  that  the  bounds 
wh  is  mentioned  shall  be  entered  in  Dunstable  &  Dracut  Town  Books. 

JOSEPH  BLANCHARD 

his 

JOSEPH  X  BUTTERFIELD. 

mark. 

Being  the  major  part  of  the  Comity  of  the  Town  of  Dunstable 
appointed  for  sd  work. 

THOS.  VARNUM. 
JOSEPH  VARNUM. 
SAM1-  COLBURN. 
Being  the  whole  of  the  Comity  of  Dracut. 

SAMUEL  DANFORTH, 

Surveyor. 


40 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

INDIAN  HOSTILITIES  RENEWED.  —  DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  COMPANY  OF  LIEUT. 
EBENEZER  FRENCH.  —  A  CURIOUS  EPITAPH.  —  A  BOUNTY  FOR  INDIAN 
SCALPS.  —  CAPT.  JOHN  LOVEWELL'S  FIRST  EXPEDITION.  —  His  SFCOND 
EXPEDITION.  —  EXTRACT  FROM  HIS  JOURNAL,  —  His  LAST  EXPEDITION.  — 

HIS  MEN  ESTABLISH  A  SMALL  FORT  AT  OSSIPEE  LAKE. —  HlS  EN- 
COUNTER WITH  PAUGUS  AT  PEQUAWKET.  —  THE  BATTLE.  —  LOVEWELL 
AND  PAUGUS  KILLED.  —  EN.  SETH.  WYMAN.  —  JONATHAN  ROBBINS  AND 
OTHERS  LEFT  ON  THE  FIELD.  —  RETURN  OF  THE  SURVIVORS.  —  COL. 
ELEAZAR  TYNG  VISITS  THE  SCENE  OF  ACTION  AND  BURIES  THE  BODIES 
OF  THE  SLAIN.  —  BOUNTY  PAID  TO  SOLDIERS  AND  THEIR  FAMILIES. — 
CHARACTER  OF  CAPT.  LOVEWELL.  —  DISCOURSE  OF  THE  REV.  THOMAS 
SYMMES  OF  BRADFORD.  —  THE  FAMOUS  BALLAD  OF  CAPT.  LOVEWKLL'S 
FIGHT.  —  STANZAS  BY  THE  LATE  T.  C.  UPHAM.  —  RESULT  OF  PEACE  ON 
DUNSTABLE.  —  DIVISION  OF  THE  TOWN.  —  SECTIONS  SET  OFF  TO  LON- 
DONDERRY AND  TOWNSEND.  —  NOTTINGHAM.  —  LlTCHFIEI.D.  —  MERRI- 

MACK.  —  DEATH  OF  MR.  PRENTICE.  —  SETTLEMENT  OF  REV.  JOSIAH  SWAN. 
—  HOLLIS.  —  THE  BOUNDARY  LINE  BETWEEN  MASSACHUSETTS  AND  NEW 
HAMPSHIRE  ESTABLISHED. 

"  From  Indian  wars  this  colony  suffered  more  than  any  of  her  sisters." 

SALMA  HALE. 

"  Old  men  shall  shake  the  head  and  say, 

'  Sad  was  the  hour  and  terrible 
When  Lovewell  brave  'gainst  Paugus  went 
With  fifty  men  from  D unstable.'  " 

THOMAS  C.  UPHAM. 

INSTIGATED  by  the  Marquis  de  Vaudreuil,  governor  of 
Canada,  and  the  celebrated  Jesuit,  Sebastian  Rale,  whose 
headquarters  were  at  Norridgewock,  the  Indians  continued  to 
commit  depredations  on  the  frontier  settlements  of  Maine  and 
New  Hampshire  ;  nor  did  the  killing  of  Rale  and  the  seven 
chiefs  endeavoring  to  protect  him  (Aug.  12,  1724)  serve  in  any 
way  to  repress  the  danger.  Anxiety  and  fear  prevailed  in 
every  family  along  the  border,  the  garrisons  were  strength- 
ened, and  scouting  parties  sent  out  to  clear  the  wilderness  of 


1724]  PETITION  OF  JOSIAH  FAR  WELL.  4I 

the  wily  foe.  A  company  under  Lieut.  Jabez  Fairbanks  of 
Groton,  having  in  itjoseph  Blanchard,  Ebenezer  Cummings, 
Jonathan  Coombs,  Thomas  Lund,  Isaac  Farwell,  and  John 
Usher,  of  Dunstable,  spent  the  early  part  of  the  year  1724  in 
searching  for  the  enemy  on  Nashua  River,  Nissitisset  Hills, 
now  a  part  of  Pepperell,  at  the  Mine  Falls,*  Naticook,  and 
other  suspected  places  in  the  neighborhood. 

On  the  4th  of  September  a  party  of  French  and  of  MohamK 
Indians  came  to  Dunstable  and  carried  into  captivity  Nathan 
Cross  and  Thomas  Blanchard,  whom  they  found  employed  in 
getting  turpentine  in  the  pine  forest  along  the  northerly  mar- 
gin of  the  Nashua  River.  A  party  of  ten  men  or  more,  under 
command  of  Lieut.  Ebenezer  French,  whose  farm  was  on 
the  easterly  side  of  Nutting's  Hill,  at  once  proceeded  in  pursuit 
of  them.  One  of  the  company,  Josiah  Farwell,  an  old  Indian 
hunter,  who  had  married  Hannah,  sister  of  John  Lovewell, 
warned  the  leader  to  beware  of  falling  into  an  ambuscade  ; 
but  he,  too  venturesome,  replied,  "  I  am  going  to  take  the 
direct  path.  If  any  of  you  are  not  afraid,  follow  me  ! " 

They  followed  him,  and  on  arriving  at  what  is  now  Thorn- 
ton's Ferry  on  the  Merrimack  River,  they  were  waylaid,  fired 
upon  by  the  treacherous  enemy,  and  all  the  party,  excepting 
Mr.  Farwell,  who  had  concealed  himself  in  a  clump  of  bushes, 
were  either  killed  upon  the  spot  or  taken  captives.  Judge 
Samuel  Penhallow  gives  the  following  version  of  the  affair  :  — 

"  Sept.  4th,  the  Indians  fell  on  Dunstable  and  took  two  in  the  evening. 
Next  morning,  Lieut.  French  with  14  men  went  in  quest  of  them  ;  but  being 
waylaid,  both  he  and  one  half  of  his  men  were  destroyed.  After  that,  as 
many  more  of  a  fresh  company  engaged  them  ;  but  the  enemy  being  much 
superior  in  number,  overpowered  them  with  the  loss  of  one  man  and  four 
wounded." 

In  a  petition  of  Josiah  Farwell,  on  the  records  of  the  prov- 
ince, another  account  is  given  :  — • 

"  Nov.  ii,  1724,  Josiah  Farwell  says  he  was  among  the  ten  who  were 
ambushed  by  the  Indians,  that  many  of  the  English  were  killed,  the 


*  So  called  because  lead  ore  had  been  discovered  in  this  vicinity  anterior  to 
1682,  when  the  "  Mine  Islands  "  were  laid  out  to  Hezekiah  Usher. 


42 


HISTORY  Of  DUA-STABLE. 


rest  were  overpowered  and  forced  to  fly,  that  he  lost  his  gun,  coat  and 
three  pounds  in  money,  and  prays  an  allowance,  he  thinks  they  killed  some 
of  the  enemy,  he  was  allowed  ,£5." 

The  bodies  of  eight  of  those  killed  were  recovered,  and 
buried  in  one  grave.  The  names  of  seven  are  given  in  the 
Boston  News  Letter  as  follows  :  Lieut.  Ebenezer  French, 
Thomas  Lund,  Oliver  Farwell,  and  Ebenezer  Cummings,  of 
]j^unstable,  Daniel  Baldwin  and  John  Burbank  of  Woburn, 
and  Mr.  Johnson  of  Plainfield.  The  name  of  the  other  man 
was  Benjamin  Carter.  Four  rude  headstones  in  the  old  ceme- 
tery at  Little's  Station,  not  far  north  of  the  State  line,  com- 
memorate the  sad  event. 

On  visiting  this  sacred  enclosure  some  time  since,  which  I 
found  to  be  well  enclosed  but  covered  in  part  with  pine-trees 
and  wild  shrubbery,  I  copied  the  following  quaint  inscrip- 
tion :  — 

"  Memento  mori.  Here  lies  the  body  of  Mr.  Thomas  Lund  who  de- 
parted this  life,  Sept.  5,  1724,  in  the  42^  year  of  his  age.  This  man  with 
seven  more  that  lies  in  this  grave  was  slew  all  in  a  day  by  the  Indians." 

Beside  this  memorial  stone  are  three  others  bearing  the 
same  date  and  the  names  respectively  of  Mr.  Benjamin  Car- 
ter, aged  twenty-three  years,  Mr.  Ebenezer  Cummings,  aged 
twenty-nine  years,  and  Lieut.  Oliver  Farwell,  aged  thirty-three 
years. 

After  remaining  some  time  in  Canada  and  enduring  many 
hardships,  the  captives,  Nathan  Cross  and  Thomas  Blanchard, 
together  with  William  Lund  who  had  been  taken  captive  in 
1724,  effected  their  redemption,  and  returned  rejoicing  to 
Dunstable. 

Under  such  aggravating  acts  of  Indian  barbarity,  it  was 
deemed  advisable  to  carry  on  the  war  more  vigorously,  and  to 
this  end  bounties  for  scalps  were  again  offered  by  the  govern- 
ment and  volunteer  companies  organized. 

In  answer  to  a  petition  of  John  Lovewell,  Josiah  Farwell, 
and  Jonathan  Robbins,  all  of  whom  were  well  skilled  in 
Indian  warfare,  it  was  voted  by  the  General  Court,  Nov.  17, 
1724,  "  that  they  may  be  allowed  two  shillings  and  sixpence 


1725]  CAPT.   LOVEWELVS  JOURNAL.  43 

per  diem  each,  and  also  the  sum  of  ^100*  for  each  male 
scalp." 

Immediately  after  the  decision  of  the  Assembly,  Lovewell 
raised  a  company!  of  thirty  men,  of  which  he  was  commis- 
sioned captain,  and  commenced  an  expedition  into  the  wil- 
derness. On  the  loth  of  November  his  lieutenant,  Josiah 
Farwell,  received  at  Haverhill  "four  hundred  and  eighty- 
seven  pound  and  one-half  of  good  bread  "  for  the  use  of  the 
soldiers,  and  on  the  iQth  of  December  they  fell  upon  an 
Indian  trail  about  forty-four  miles  above  "  Winnepisockee 
Pond."  They  soon  came  up  to  a  wigwam,  where  they  killed 
and  scalped  an  Indian,  and  took  a  boy,  about  fifteen  years  old, 
captive.  With  these  trophies  they  returned  to  Boston,  when 
"  the  lieutenant-governor  and  council  were  pleased  to  give 
them,"  says  the  News  Letter  of  Jan.  7,  1725,  "  ^50  over  and 
above  ,£150  allowed  them  by  law." 

Encouraged  by  this  success,  the  gallant  Lovewell  soon  raised 
another  volunteer  company  of  eighty-eight  men,  among  whom 
were  his  brother  Zaccheus  Lovewell,  Thomas  Colburn,  Peter 
Powers,  Josiah  Cummings,  Henry  Farwell,  William  Ayers, 
Samuel  Fletcher,  and  others,  of  Dunstable,  and  on  the  3Oth  of 
January,  1724-5,  set  forth  on  a  second  expedition  against  the 
enemy. 

In  this  journey  he  came  up  with  the  Indians  near  a  pond, 
since  known  as  Lovewell's  Pond,  at  the  head  of  one  of  the 
branches  of  Salmon  Falls  River,  now  in  the  town  of  Wake- 
field,  N.  H.,  killed  the  whole  party,  ten  in  all,  and  returning, 
entered  Boston,  with  the  scalps  stretched  on  poles,  and  claimed 
the  bounty. 

In  his  journal  of  the  expedition  Capt.  Lovewell,  under  date 
of  Feb.  20,  says  :  — 

"We  Travelled  about  5  miles  &  came  upon  a  Wigwam  that  the  Indians 
had  lately  gone  from,  &  then  we  pursued  their  tracks  2  £iiles  further,  & 
discovered  their  smokes,  and  there  tarried  till  about  2  o'clock  in  the 

*  The  pound  was  then  worth  about  $1.36,  according  to  our  present  mode  of 
reckoning. 

t  He,  or  Jonathan  Tyng,  was  probably  the  originator  of  the  volunteer  system 
in  this  State,  men  having  hitherto  been  raised  only  by  draft  or  impressment,  as  it 
was  sometimes  denominated. 


44  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [^725 

morning,  &  then  came  upon  their  Wigwams  &  killed  Ten  Indian  Men, 
which  were  all  that  were  there,  &  not  one  escaped  alive." 

"  During  the  march,"  says  Penhallow,  "  our  men  were  well 
entertained  with  moose,  bear,  and  deer,  together  with  salmon 
trout,  some  of  which  were  three  feet  long  and  weighed  twelve 
pounds  apiece." 

On  the  fifteenth  day  of  April,  1725,  the  intrepid  Lovewell, 
at  the  head  of  a  well-armed  band  of  forty-seven  men,  of 
whom  some  had  shared  the  dangers  of  his  first  expedition, 
left  Dunstable  with  the  intention  of  attacking  the  Pequaw- 
kets,*  under  the  noted  sachem  Paugus,  whose  headquarters 
were  in  a  charming  valley  on  the  Saco  River,  in  what  is  now 
the  town  of  Fryeburg,  Me.  '  The  distance  was  more  than  two 
hundred  miles  and  the  country  to  be  traversed  a  dreary  wil- 
derness, with  only  here  and  there  an  Indian  trail  or  the  track 
of  a  beast  of  prey.  Such  an  adventure  demanded  men  inured 
to  hardship,  fond  of  daring  exploits,  fearless  of  peril,  and  such 
indeed  Lovewell  and  his  comrades  were.  As  given  by  the 
Rev.  Thomas  Symmes,  their  names  were  Capt.  John  Love- 
well,  Lieut.  Josiah  Farwell,  Lieut.  Jonathan  Robbins,  Ensign 
John  Harwood,  Sergeant  Noah  Johnson,  Robert  Usher, 
Samuel  Whiting,  Benjamin  Hassell  (purposely  omitted  by  Mr. 
Symmes),  William  Cummings.f  and  Toby  (a  Mohawk  Indian),! 
of  Dunstable  ;  Ensign  Seth  Wyman,  Corp.  Thomas  Richard- 
son, Timothy  Richardson,  Ichabod  Johnson,  and  Josiah 
Johnson,  of  Woburn  ;  Eleazer  Davis,  Josiah  Davis,  Josiah 
Jones,  David  Melvin,  Eleazer  Melvin,  Jacob  Farrah,  and  Joseph 
Farrah,  of  Concord ;  Jonathan  Frye,  of  Andover  ;  Sergt.  Jacob 
Fullam,  of  Weston  ;  Corp.  Edward  Lingfield  and  Benjamin 
Kidder,f  of  Nutfield  ;  Jonathan  Kittridge  and  Solomon  Keyes, 
of  Billerica  ;  John  Jefts,  Daniel  Woods,  Thomas  Woods,  John 
Chamberlain,  Elias  Barron,  Isaac  Lakin,  and  Joseph  Gilson, 
of  Groton  ;  Ebenezer  Ayer  and  Abiel  Astin,  of  Haverhill.:}: 

*  The  meaning  of  Pequavvket  is,  according  to  Judge  C.  E.  Potter,  a  "  crooked 
place." 

t  Not  given  by  Mr.  Symmes. 

}  Mr.  Symmes  does  not  give  all  the  names.  The  number  mentioned  by  the  com- 
mittee on  granting  the  land  to  the  men  subsequently,  who  probably  had  the  roll 


1725]  LOVEWELUS  LAST  FIGHT.  45 

After  marching  a  short  distance,  Toby,  a  Mohawk  Indian, 
falling  lame,  was  obliged  to  return  to  the  plantation.  On 
arriving  at  Contocook,  noted  for  the  famous  exploit  of  Mrs. 
Hannah  Duston,  William  Cummings,  of  Dunstable,  becoming 
disabled  from  a  wound  previously  received  from  the  Indians, 
was  sent  back  in  charge  of  one  of  his  kinsmen. 

When  the  company  arrived  at  the  westerly  margin  of  the 
Great  Ossipee*  Lake,  Benjamin  Kidder,  becoming  unable  to 
proceed  farther,  Capt.  Lovewell  erected  here  a  small  stockade 
fort,  in  which  he  left  the  sick  soldier,  under  the  care  of  the 
surgeon,  Dr.  William  Ayer,  of  Haverhill.  He  also  detailed 
eight  soldiers  to  remain  as  a  reserve  and  a  guard  of  the 
fort. 

Pressing  onward  with  the  rest  of  his  company  for  about 
twenty  miles,  the  heroic  captain  arrived,  on  the  evening  of  the 
/th  of  May,  at  the  northwesterly  margin  of  a  beautiful  sheet 
of  water,  about  two  miles  long  and  half  a  mile  wide,  since 
known  as  Lovewell's  Pond,  and  silently  encamped  for  the 
night.  No  trace  of  the  enemy  had  yet  been  observed,  and 
nothing  but  some  confused  noises  in  the  distance,  perhaps  the 
howling  of  wolves,  or  Indian  voices  at  the  village  of  Pequawket, 
about  two  miles  towards  the  west,  caused  any  alarm  ;  but 
while  engaged  in  their  devotions  about  eight  o'clock  on  the 
following  morning  (Saturday,  May  8),  they  were  startled  by 
the  report  of  a  musket,  which  proceeded  from  the  opposite 
shore  of  the  pond.  They  then  observed  an  Indian  at  the  dis- 
tance of  about  a  mile,  standing  on  a  point  of  land  extending 
into  the  lake,  and  supposing  that  he  was  acting  as  a  decoy  to 
draw  them  into  danger,  held  a  consultation  as  to  whether  it 
were  advisable  for  them  to  advance  or  to  return. 

"  We  came  out  to  meet  the  enemy,"  said  the  chaplain,  young 
Jonathan  Frye,  of  Andover,  "  we  have  all  along  prayed  God 

of  the  company  before  them,  was  forty-seven.  In  his  History  of  Manchester, 
Judge  Potter  gives  the  names  of  those  left  in  the  fort  at  Ossipee  as  follows : 
Sergt.  Nathaniel  Woods,  Ebenezer  Hulbert,  and  Edward  Spooney,  of  Uunstable  ; 
Dr.  William  Ayer,  of  Haverhill;  Benjamin  Kidder  and  John  Goffe,  of  Nutfield; 
John  Gilson,  of  Grotonj  Isaac  and  Zachariah  Whitney,  of  Concord  ;  and  Zebediah 
Astin,  of  Haverhill. 

*The  meaning  of  this  Indian  word  is  said  to  be  "the  river  of  the  pines." 


46  HISTORY  OF  DUNS7ABLE.  [l?2$ 

that  we  might  find  them,  and  we  had  rather  trust  Providence 
with  our  lives  —  yea,  die  for  our  country  —  than  try  to  return 
without  seeing  them,  if  we  may,  and  be  called  cowards  for  our 
pains." 

Complying  with  this  request,  Capt.  Lovewell  ordered  his 
men  to  move  cautiously  forward.  Arriving  soon  at  a  smooth 
plain,  with  here  and  there  a  pine-tree,  the  men  divested  them- 
selves of  their  packs,  which  they  piled  up  together,  under  the 
supposition  that  the  main  body  of  the  enemy  was  in  front  of 
them.  Having  then  proceeded  through  the  forest  for  about  a 
mile,  they  came  suddenly  upon  the  Indian  hunter  whom  they 
had  before  descried  upon  the  point  of  land  across  the  lake. 
He  was  leisurely  returning  to  his  people  with  a  couple  of  mus- 
kets and  a  brace  of  ducks  upon  his  shoulder.  Several  guns 
were  instantly  discharged  at  him,  when,  replying,  he  seriously 
wounded  Capt.  Lovewell  and  Mr.  Samuel  Whiting  with 
beaver  shot.  Ensign  Seth  Wyman,  then  firing,  killed  the 
Indian,  and  Chaplain  Frye,  assisted  by  another  person,  took 
off  his  scalp. 

The  company  then  turned  back,  and  moved  along  with  their 
wounded  leader  towards  the  open  spot  where  they  had  left 
their  packs.  But  in  the  mean  time  Paugus,  at  the  head  of 
about  eighty  warriors,  on  their  way  home  from  an  expedition 
down  the  Saco  River,  discovered  the  pile  of  packs,  and  judg- 
ing from  the  number  that  the  English  force  was  much  less 
than  his  own,  determined  to  engage  in  battle.  He  therefore 
placed  his  men  in  ambush  and  awaited  the  arrival  of  his  foe. 
When  Lovewell's  company  came  up  for  their  packs,  the 
Indians  rushed  suddenly  from  their  hiding-places,  three  or 
four  deep,  with  their  guns  presented,  as  if  supposing  that 
their  very  numbers  would  induce  the  English  to  surrender ; 
but  they  were  disappointed.  Bravely  Capt.  Lovewell's  men 
advanced  upon  the  savages  until  within  a  few  yards'  distance, 
when  the  combatants  on  both  sides  opened  a  destructive  fire. 

The  war-whoop  mingled  with  the  roar  of  musketry,  and  the 
scene  of  bloodshed  was  appalling.  Many  of  the  Indians  fell, 
and  Capt.  Lovewell,  with  eight  of  his  heroic  band,  was  soon 
left  dead  upon  the  field.  Three  of  his  men  were  severely 


1725]  PAUGUS  AND    WYMAN.  47 

wounded.  Those  killed  upon  the  spot  were  Capt  John 
Lovewell  and  Ensign  John  Harwood,  of  Dunstable,  Sergt. 
Jacob  Fullam,  of  Weston,  John  Jefts  and  Ichabod  Johnson, 
of  Woburn,  Daniel  and  Thomas  Woods,  of  Groton,  Josiah 
Davis,  of  Concord,  and  Jonathan  Kittridge,  of  Billerica.  The 
wounded  were  Lieut.  Josiah  Farwell,  Lieut.  Jonathan  Robbins, 
and  Robert  Usher,  of  Dunstable.* 

Having  met  with  such  a  fearful  loss  and  being  almost  cir- 
cumvented by  the  enemy,  the  English,  now  under  the  com- 
mand of  Ensign  Seth  Wyman,  withdrew  to  the  pond,  which 
served  to  protect  them  in  the  rear,  while  on  their  right  an 
unfordable  stream,  and  on  their  left  a  rocky  point  in  part 
defended  them.  Their  front  was  also  covered  by  a  deep 
morass.  In  this  fortunate  position  they  bravely  maintained 
themselves  against  the  superior  number  of  their  enemies  for 
the  remainder  of  the  day.  About  three  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon the  gallant  Chaplain  Frye  was  severely  wounded. f 
The  fight  was  rendered  the  more  terrible  by  the  fiendish 
yelling  and  the  horrid  grimaces  of  the  Indians,  who  at  one 
time  held  up  ropes,  inviting  the  English  to  surrender.  They, 
however,  pointing  to  the  muzzles  of  their  muskets,  signified 
in  reply  that  rather  than  to  be  taken  captive  they  would  fight 
to  the  bitter  end. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  engagement,  Paugus,  whose  name 
signifies  "  Oak  Tree,"  the  long-dreaded  chief  of  the  Pequawkets, 
fell,  and  probably,  as  the  ancient  ballad  states,  by  a  shot  from 
Ensign  Wyman,  though  a  popular  tradition  ascribes  the 
exploit  to  John  Chamberlain,  of  Groton. 

Standing  near  each  other,  and  loading  their  pieces  on  the 
margin  of  the  lake,  it  is  said  that  Paugus,  in  the  act  of  forcing 
down  his  ball,  cried  out  to  Wyman,  "  Me  kill  you  quick  !  "  To 
whom  the  latter  answered,  "  May  be  not ! "  when  his  gun, 
priming  itself,  gave  him  in  point  of  time  the  advantage,  ena- 

*  See  the  Rev.  Thomas  Symmes's  narrative. 

t  Son  of  Capt.  James  Frye,  of  Andover,  II.  C.  1723,  and  about  twenty  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  his  death.  The  beautiful  town  of  Fryeburg,  Me.,  perpetuates 
his  name.  An  elm-tree,  set  out  by  him  at  the  time  of  his  departure  from  home, 
is  still  flourishing. 


48  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

bling  him  by  a  well-directed  shot  to  lay  the  sachem  weltering 
in  his  gore  upon  the  strand.* 

Either  from  the  loss  of  men  or  of  their  leader,  want  of 
ammunition,  or  some  other  cause,  the  Indians  withdrew  from 
the  contest  a  little  after  sunset,  removing  most  of  their  dead 
and  all  of  their  wounded  from  the  field,  and  soon  afterwards 
the  men  that  remained  of  Lovewell's  Spartan  band,  now  desti- 
tute of  powder  and  provisions,  resolved  to  leave  the  fatal  spot 
and  make  their  way  back,  if  possible,  to  the  stockade  fort  on 
Lake  Ossipee.  But  some  of  them  had  lost  too  much  blood  to 
undertake  such  a  journey.  Jacob  Farrar  was  just  expiring  by 
the  pond.  Lieut.  Jonathan  Robbins,  unable  to  proceed, 
desired  that  his  gun  might  be  loaded  and  laid  beside  him. 
"  For,"  said  he,  "  the  Indians  will  come  in  the  morning  to  scalp 
me,  and  I  '11  kill  one  more  of  them,  if  I  can  !  "  Robert  Usher, 
also  of  Dunstable,  was  too  much  exhausted  to  be  removed 
from  the  spot.  Leaving,  then,  regretfully  these  three  dying 
companions,  the  rest  of  the  men,  of  whom  eleven  had  been 
wounded,  started  on  their  journey  of  more  than  twenty  miles 
to  the  fort.  Having  travelled  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  Chap- 
lain Frye,  Lieut.  Josiah  Farwell,  Eleazer  Davis,  and  Josiah 
Jones  gave  their  free  consent  to  be  left  on  the  way,  hoping 
that  aid  might  be  sent  back  to  them,  but  the  two  former  per- 
ished in  the  wilderness.  Chaplain  Frye,  after  travelling  some 
distance,  sunk  under  his  wounds,  telling  his  companions  that 
he  was  dying,  and  that  he  should  never  rise  more,  at  the  same 
time  "  charging  Davis,"  says  Mr.  Symmes,  "  if  it  should  please 
God  to  bring  him  home,  to  go  to  his  father,  and  tell  him  that 
he  expected  in  a  few  hours  to  be  in  eternity,  and  that  he  was 
not  afraid  to  die."  Lieut.  Farwell  (b.  Aug.  27,  1698)  died  of 
exhaustion  on  the  eleventh  day  after  the  fight.  Davis,  who  was 
wounded  in  the  body  and  had  one  thumb  shot  off,  reached 
Berwick  in  a  deplorable  condition  on  the  2/th  of  May  ;  and 
Jones  came  in  at  Saco,  after  wandering,  with  a  severe  wound 
in  his  body,  fourteen  days  in  the  wilderness.  On  arriving  at  the 
fort,  faint  and  famishing,  the  little  party  under  Lieut.  Wyman 

*  See  Kidder's  Expeditions  of  Capt.  John  Lovewell,  p.  104 ;  also  Butler's  History 
of  Groton,  p.  104. 


1725]  ESTATE   OF  CAPT.  LOVE  WELL.  49 

had  the  grief  to  find  the  place  abandoned,  since  at  the  very 
commencement  of  the  fight,  Benjamin  Hassell,  supposing  all 
to  be  lost,  had  fled,  and  on  reaching  the  fort  had  so  intimi- 
dated the  occupants  that  they  all  deserted  it  and  made  their 
way  back  as  best  they  could,  arriving  on  the  nth  of  May  at 
Dunstable.  Ensign  Wyman  returned  home*  with  his  men  on 
the  1 5th  of  May  ;  and  on  the  i/th  of  the  same  month,  Col. 
Eleazer  Tyng,  with  a  company  of  eighty-seven  men,  proceeded 
to  the  scene  of  conflict,  and  there  found  and  buried  the  bodies 
of  Capt.  John  Lovewell,  Ensign  Jonathan  Robbins,  Ensign  John 
Harwood,  Robert  Usher,  Sergt.  Jacob  Fullam,  Jacob  Farrar, 
Josiah  Davis,  Thomas  Woods,  Daniel  Woods,  John  Jefts, 
Ichabod  Johnson,  and  Jonathan  Kittridge.  He  also  dug  up 
and  identified  the  body  of  the  brave  Paugus. 

When  Dr.  Jeremy  Belknap  visited  the  scene  of  the  action, 
he  discovered  the  names  of  the  fallen  heroes  which  Col.  Tyng 
had  inscribed  upon  the  trees,  and  also  the  holes  from  which 
he  had  taken  bullets. 

For  the  defence  of  Dunstable  during  the  absence  of  Col. 
Tyng,  Col.  Flagg  was  ordered  to  detach  from  his  regiment 
"  a  sergeant  and  twelve  effective,  able-bodied  men,  well  armed 
for  his  Majesty's  service,  for  the  security  and  reinforcement  of 
Dunstable  until  the  return  of  Col.  Tyng  and  his  company. 
They  must  be  posted  at  the  garrisons  of  Joseph  Bloghead 
[Blodgett],  Nathaniel  Hill,  John  Taylour,  and  John  Lovewell, 
and  three  sentinels  in  each  garrison,  and  the  sergeant  in  that 
of  the  four  that  is  nearest  the  centre.  Boston,  May  19, 

1725-" 

Capt.  Lovewell  was  the  son  of  John  Lovewell,  and  was 
born  in  Dunstable,  Oct.  14,  1691.  He  married  Hannah 

by  whom  he  had  three  children  :  John,  born  June  30,  1718  ; 
Hannah,  born  July  24,  1721;  and  Nehemiah,  born  Jan.  9,  1726. 
An  inventory  of  his  real  and  personal  estate  may  be  seen  in 
Kidder's  Expeditions  of  Capt.  John  Lovewell,  p.  93.  His 

*  Soon  after  his  return  he  was  presented  with  a  captain's  commission  and  a 
silver-hilted  sword.     He  raised  a  company,  and  died  soon  afterwards  while  scout- 
ing for  the  enemy  above  Dunstable.     The  court  presented  his  widow,  nee  Sarah 
Ross  of  Billerica,  the  sum  of  twenty  pounds  sterling. 
4 


50  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1726 

lands  and  meadows,  in  all  about  two  hundred  acres,  and  the 
buildings  thereon,  together  with  the  half  part  of  a  saw-mill, 
were  estimated  at  ^420.  In  answer  to  a  petition  of  Hannah 
Lovewell  to  the  General  Court,  June  8,  1726,  "  it  was  resolved 
that  fifty  pounds  be  paid  to  Capt.  Henry  Farwell  and  Col.  E. 
Tyng  with  which  to  discharge  the  claims  against  the  estate  of 
the  late  Capt.  Lovewell."  Fifteen  hundred  pounds  were 
granted  to  the  widows  and  children  of  the  deceased  soldiers, 
and  in  consideration  of  the  services  of  Capt.  Lovewell  and  his 
brave  associates,  the  General  Court  also  (Aug.  7,  1728) 
granted  to  them  and  to  the  legal  representatives  of  such  as 
had  deceased,  "  a  township  of  six  miles  square,  lying  on  both 
sides  of  Merrimack  River."  This  tract  of  land,  then  called 
Suncook  and  afterwards  Lovewell's  Town,  was  "  to  commence 
where  Pennicook  grant  terminated."  It  is  now  the  town 
of  Pembroke,  N.  H.  Capt.  Lovewell  lived  on  the  margin  of 
Salmon  Brook,  on  which  he  and  his  father  had  a  saw-mill.  It 
was  voted  by  the  town,  Sept.  2,  1718,  "  that  they  should  have 
liberty  to  build  a  dam  in  the  highway  "  over  that  brook,  and 
the  mill  was  subsequently  established.  The  powder-horn 
which  the  hero  of  Pequawket  used  in  the  fight  is  still  pre- 
served by  one  of  his  descendants. 

Capt.  Lovewell  was  brave,  adventurous,  and  persistent. 
He  died  with  his  gun  loaded  and  pointed  towards  the  foe. 
His  blood  was  not  spilled  in  vain.  The  action  at  Pequawket 
closed  the  war,  and  insured  tranquillity.  A  treaty  of  peace 
was  soon  made  with  the  different  Indian  tribes,  and  the 
Pequawkets,  under  their  leader  Adeawanda,  removed  to 
Canada. 

The  following  letter  (Massachusetts  Archives,  LXXII, 
263),  addressed  to  Col.  Tyng,  indicates  the  feeling  of  security 
which  prevailed  :  — 

"  Sir,  —  The  enemy  being  drawn  off  &  the  season  of  Danger  pretty 
well  over,  you  must  forthwith  see  that  the  soldiers  in  the  Frontiers  be 
reduced  to  the  following  Numbers  ;  viz.,  Twenty-five  Men  at  Dunstable 
&  Dracut,  Ten  at  Turkey  Hills,  Fourteen  at  Groton,  Fourteen  at  Lan- 
caster, Twenty-five  at  Rutland,  &  ten  at  Brookfield  &  That  all  the  rest  of 
the  Soldiers  in  the  Counties  of  Middlesex  and  Essex,  Including  Lieut. 


1/25]  AN  ANCIENT  BALLAD.  5! 

Brentnal's  scouts  be  forthwith  disbanded.     And  the  several  officers  are 
required  to  put  these  orders  in  execution  accordingly." 

The  name  of  Lovewell  at  once  became  famous.  The  story 
of  his  exploits  was  rehearsed  in  every  dwelling,  and  even  in 
the  pulpits  of  the  country.  As  early  as  the  :6th  of  May,  1725, 
the  Rev.  Thomas  Symmes,  V.  D.  M.,  of  Bradford,  preached  a 
sermon  "  occasioned  by  the  fall  of  the  brave  Capt  John  Love- 
well  and  several  of  his  valiant  company  in  the  late  heroic 
action."  The  Historical  Memoirs  prefixed  to  this  sermon 
contain,  perhaps,  the  best  account  of  the  .fight  that  has  been 
transmitted  to  us.  A  very  mournful  ballad,  said  by  John 
Farmer  to  have  been  written  soon  after  the  tragic  event 
occurred,  embodies  the  chief  incidents  of  the  fight,  and  is  one 
of  the  few  compositions  of  the  kind  that  have  floated  down  to 
~us  from  our  forefathers.  It  was  for  a  long  period  the  most 
popular  song  in  the  colonies.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that 
neither  the  name  of  the  author,  nor  the  music  to  which  the 
words  were  adapted  and  so  often  sung  in  winter  evenings  by 
"  the  old  folks  at  home,"  has  been  preserved. 


THE   BALLAD  OF  CAPT.  JOHN   LOVEWELL'S  FIGHT,  AT  PEQUAWKET. 


Of  worthy  Capt.  Lovewell  I  purpose  now  to  sing, 
How  valiantly  he  served  his  country  and  his  king  : 
He  and  his  valiant  soldiers  did  range  the  woods  full  wide, 
And  hardships  they  endured  to  quell  the  Indians'  pride. 

II. 

'T  was  nigh  unto  Pigwacket,  on  the  eighth  day  of  May, 
They  spied  a  rebel  Indian,  soon  after  break  of  day. 
He  on  a  bank  was  walking,  upon  a  neck  of  land 
Which  leads  into  a  pond,  as  we  're  made  to  understand. 

in. 

Our  men  resolved  to  have  him,  and  travelled  two  miles  round, 
Until  they  met  the  Indian,  who  boldly  stood  his  ground. 
Then  speaks  up  Capt.  Lovewell,  "  Take  you  good  heed,"  says  he, 
"  This  rogue  is  to  decoy  us,  I  very  plainly  see. 


HISTORY  OF  D UNSTABLE. 


IV. 


"  The  Indians  lie  in  ambush,  in  some  place  nigh  at  hand, 
In  order  to  surround  us  upon  this  neck  of  land ; 
Therefore  we  '11  march  in  order,  and  each  man  leave  his  pack, 
That  we  may  briskly  fight  them  when  they  shall  us  attack." 


v. 


They  come  unto  the  Indian  who  did  them  thus  defy ; 
As  soon  as  they  come  nigh  him,  two  guns  he  did  let  fly, 
Which  wounded  Capt.  Lovewell  and  likewise  one  man*  more ; 
But  when  this  rogue  was  running,  they  laid  him  in  his  gore. 


VI. 


Then,  having  scalped  the  Indian,  they  went  back  to  the  spot 
Where  they  had  laid  their  packs  down,  but  there  they  found  them  not ; 
For  the  Indians,  having  spied  them  when  they  them  down  did  lay, 
Did  seize  them  for  their  plunder,  and  carry  them  away. 


VII. 


These  rebels  lay  in  ambush,  this  very  place  near  by, 

So  that  an  English  soldier  did  one  of  them  espy, 

And  cried  out,  "  Here 's  an  Indian  !  "     With  that  they  started  out 

As  fiercely  as  old  lions,  and  hideously  did  shout. 


VIII. 


With  that  our  valiant  English  all  gave  a  loud  huzza, 
To  show  the  rebel  Indians  they  feared  them  not  a  straw. 
So  now  the  fight  began  as  fiercely  as  could  be, 
The  Indians  ran  up  to  them,  but  soon  were  forced  to  flee. 


IX. 


Then  spake  up  Capt.  Lovewell,  when  first  the  fight  began, 
"  Fight  on,  my  valiant  heroes,  you  see  they  fall  like  rain  !  " 
For,  as  we  are  informed,  the  Indians  were  so  thick, 
A  man  could  scarcely  fire  a  gun,  and  not  some  of  them  hit. 

x. 

Then  did  the  rebels  try  their  best  our  soldiers  to  surround, 
But  they  could  not  accomplish  it,  because  there  was  a  pond, 
To  which  our  men  retreated  and  covered  all  the  rear. 
The  rogues  were  forced  to  flee  them,  although  they  skulked  for  fear. 

*  Lieut.  Josiah  Farwell,  of  Dunstable. 


1725]  AN  ANCIENT  BALLAD.  53 


XI.  « 

Two  logs  that  were  behind  them  so  close  together  lay, 
Without  being  discovered  they  could  not  get  away ; 
Therefore,  our  valiant  English,  they  travelled  in  a  row, 
And  at  a  handsome  distance,  as  they  were  wont  to  go. 

XII. 

'T  was  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  first  the  fight  begun, 
And  fiercely  did  continue  till  the  setting  of  the  sun, 
Excepting  that  the  Indians,  some  hours  before  'twas  night, 
Drew  off  into  the  bushes  and  ceased  awhile  to  fight. 

XIII. 

But  soon  again  returned,  in  fierce  and  furious  mood, 
Shouting  as  in  the  morning,  but  yet  not  half  so  loud  ; 
For,  as  we  are  informed,  so  thick  and  fast  they  fell, 
Scarce  twenty  of  their  number  at  night  did  get  home  well. 

XIV. 

And  that  our  valiant  English  till  midnight  there  did  stay, 
To  see  whether  the  rebels  would  have  another  fray  ; 
But  they  no  more  returning,  they  made  off  to  their  home, 
And  brought  away  their  wounded  as  far  as  they  could  come. 

XV. 

Of  all  our  valiant  English  there  were  but  thirty-four, 

And  of  the  rebel  Indians  there  were  about  fourscore. 

And  sixteen  of  our  English  did  safely  home  return ; 

The  rest  were  killed  and.  wounded,  for  which  we  all  must  mourn. 

XVI. 

Our  worthy  Capt.  Lovewell  among  them  there  did  die  ; 
They  killed  Lieut.  Robbins*  and  wounded  good  young  Frye,f 
Who  was  our  English  chaplain ;  he  many  Indians  slew, 
And  some  of  them  he  scalped,  when  bullets  round  him  flew. 

XVII. 

Young  Fullam,  %  too,  I  '11  mehtion,  because  he  fought  so  well ; 
Endeavoring  to  save  a  man,  a  sacrifice  he  fell. 

*  Lieut.  Jonathan  Robbins  was  a  native  of  Chelmsford.     He  married  Margaret 
Gould,  and  settled  on  Long  Hill,  Dunstable. 

t  He  died  in  the  wilderness  several  days  subsequent  to  the  fight. 

t  Sergt.  Jacob  Fullam  was  of  Weston.  "  One  of  the  first  that  was  killed,"  says 
John  Farmer,  "  was  by  his  right  hand,  and  when  ready  to  encounter  a  second  sho 
it  is  said  that  he  and  his  adversary  fell  at  the  very  instant  by  each  other's  shot." 


5  4 


HISTOR  Y  OF  DUNSTA  BLE. 


And  yet  our  valiant  Englishmen  in  fight  were  ne'er  dismayed, 
But  still  they  kept  their  fhotion,  and  Wyman  captain  made,  -J- 

XVIII. 

Who  shot  the  old  chief  Paugus,*  which  did  the  foe  defeat, 
Then  set  his  men  in  order  and  brought  off  the  retreat  ; 
And,  braving  many  dangers  and  hardships  by  the  way, 
They  safe  arrived  at  Dunstable  the  thirteenth  day  of  May. 

Another  ballad,  purporting  to  be  ancient  and  commencing,  — 

"  What  time  the  noble  Lovewell  came 
With  fifty  men  from  Dunstable," 

is-  of  modern  origin. 

The  following  graceful  lines  commemorating  this  tragical 
event  are  from  the  pen  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Cogswell  Upham, 
D.  D.,  born  in  Deerfield,  N.  H.,  Jan.  30,  1799.  They  were 
written  in  1825  :  — 

Ah  !  where  are  the  soldiers  that  fought  here  of  yore  ? 
The  sod  is  upon  them  ;  they  '11  struggle  no  more. 
The  hatchet  is  fallen,  the  red  man  is  low  ; 
But  near  him  reposes  the  arm  of  his  foe. 

The  bugle  is  silent,  the  war-whoop  is  dead  ; 
There  's  a  murmur  of  waters  and  woods  in  their  stead  ; 
And  the  raven  and  owl  chant  a  symphony  drear, 
From  the  dark,  waving  pines,  o'er  the  combatants'  bier. 

The  light  of  the  sun  has  just  sunk  in  the  wave, 
And  a  long  time  ago  set  the  sun  of  the  brave. 
The  waters  complain  as  they  roll  o'er  the  stones, 
And  the  rank  grass  encircles  a  few  scattered  bones. 

The  names  of  the  fallen  the  traveller  leaves 

Cut  out  with  his  knife  in  the  bark  of  the  trees. 

But  little  avail  his  affectionate  arts, 

For  the  names  of  the  fallen  are  graved  in  our  hearts. 

The  voice  of  the  hunter  is  loud  on  the  breeze, 
There  's  a  dashing  of  waters,  a  rustling  of  trees  ; 
But  the  jangling  of  armor  hath  all  passed  away  ; 
No  gushing  of  life-blood  is  here  seen  to-day. 

*  Paugus  was  found  and  buried  by  Col.  Tyng. 


1737]  DISMEMBERMENT  OF  THE    TOWN.  55 

The  eye  that  was  sparkling  no  longer  is  bright ; 
The  arm  of  the  mighty,  Death  conquered  its  might  ; 
The  bosoms  that  once  for  their  country  beat  high,  — 
To  those  bosoms  the  sods  of  the  valley  are  nigh. 

Sleep,  soldiers  of  merit !     Sleep,  gallant  of  yore  ! 
The  hatchet  is  fallen,  the  struggle  is  o'er. 
While  the  fir-tree  is  green  and  the  wind  rolls  a  wave 
The  tear-drop  shall  brighten  the  turf  of  the  brave. 

The  occupation  of  the  lands  of  the  town  consequent  on  the 
return  of  peace  was  rapid,  families  coming  in  from  Chelms- 
ford,  Billerica,  Woburn,  Concord,  and  other  places,  to  secure 
homesteads  in  a  locality  so  well  stored  with  timber  and  so 
rich  in  pasturage.  Roads  were  laid  out  to  the  distant  settle- 
ments, fences  were  constructed,  and  orchards  planted.  The 
church  was  the  principal  institution,  the  meeting-house  the 
main  rallying-point  of  the  people ;  but  it  was  soon  found 
extremely  inconvenient  for  those  living  in  the  remote  parts  of 
the  town  to  assemble  at  the  appointed  place,  and  hence  efforts 
were  early  made  for  a  division  of  the  territory.  An  area  of 
two  hundred  square  miles  was  evidently  too  extensive  for  the 
practical  purposes  of  a  church  or  a  municipality,  and  so  but 
little  opposition  was  made  against  setting  off"  certain  sections 
for  the  better  accommodation  of  certain  people."  As  early  as 
June  21,  1721,  a  small  corner  in  the  northeast  of  Dunstable 
was  incorporated  with  the  town  of  Londonderry  ;  then  on  the 
2Qth  of  June,  1732,  a  section  in  the  southwestern  part  went 
in  to  help  make  up  Townsend. 

On  the  4th  of  January,  1732-3,  certain  families,  bearing  the 
names  of  Blodgett,  Cummings,  Cross,  Colburn,  Greeley,  Hill, 
Lovewell,  Marsh,  Merrill,  Pollard,  and  Winn,  who  had  com- 
menced a  settlement  on  the  easterly  side  of  the  Merrimack 
River  as  early  as  1712,  and  were  living  in  garrisoned  houses, 
finding  it  inconvenient  to  attend  church  across  the  river,  were 
incorporated  into  a  town  by  the  name  of  Nottingham.  Com- 
ing into  New  Hampshire  by  the  divisional  line  in  1741,  the 
name  was  changed  to  Nottingham  West,  and  that  on  the  ist 
of  July,  1830,  to  Hudson.  The  town  contains  an  area  of 
17,379  acres.  A  church  was  organized  here  Nov.  30,  1737, 


56  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  I1 734 

when  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  Merrill  was  ordained  as  pastor.  He 
was  succeeded  in  1/96  by  the  Rev.  Jabez  Pond  Fisher,  who 
preached  for  some  time  in  Dunstable. 

In  1733  it  was  voted  that  the  new  meeting-house  should  be 
erected  four  rods  west  of  where  the  old  church  was  standing, 
but  against  this  vote  the  following  persons,  living  in  the  south- 
erly part  of  the  town,  protested  :  Andrew  Foster,  Jonathan 
Cummings,  Thomas  Frost,  Ebenezer  Proctor,  Josiah  Blodgett, 
Thomas  Cummings,  Samuel  Taylor,  Ebenezer  Parkhurst,  John 
Kendall,  Ebenezer  Butterfield,  Nathaniel  Cummings,  John 
French,  Jonathan  Taylor,  Jacob  Kendall,  Daniel  Kendall, 
Abraham  Taylor,  Abraham  Taylor,  Jr.,  and  Thomas  Howard. 
Caleb  Parker  was  allowed  £\Q  5.?.  "for  building  a  pound." 
William  Blodgett,  Capt.  Henry  Farvvell,  and  Noah  Johnson 
were  chosen  a  committee  to  fix  upon  a  site  for  the  new  meet- 
ing-house. 

The  preparation  of  pitch  and  turpentine,  of  which  the  pri- 
meval forests  of  pine  furnished  large  quantities,  was  long  a 
source  of  revenue  to  the  town.  Such  privileges  as  the  follow- 
ing were  occasionally  granted.  David  Kendall,  April  10,1733, 
allows  Samuel  Taylor,  for  the  sum  of  ^13  5-r.  "to  bled  and 
chop  and  dress  all  ye  pine  trees  within  a  mile  of  ye  house  of 
Ebenezer  Proctor  on  ye  land  of  said  Proctor  in  Dunstable 
afore  sd  in  Brattles  Farm  so  called  "  for  turpentine  and  other 
purposes,  until  March  6,  1735.  Witness  Nathaniel  Cummings, 
Jr.,  and  Abraham  Taylor,  Jr. 

The  excision  of  a  part  of  the  town  of  Dunstable  to  form 
Nottingham  was  followed  by  a  still  greater  one  in  1734,  when 
the  extensive  tract  called  Naticook,  and  subsequently  Brenton's 
Farm,  was  incorporated  under  the  name  of  Litchfield.  It  was 
divided  by  the  Merrimack  River  and  originally  settled  by  a 
few  families  from  Billerica.  Subsequently  the  section  of  the 
town  west  of  the  Merrimack  River  was  incorporated  under  the 
name  of  Rumford,  soon  afterwards  changed  to  Merrimack, 
which  it  still  retains. 

William  Cummings,  1734,  received  the  sum  of  ;£io  on 
account  of  being  wounded  by  the  Indians  ;  and  about  this 
time  a  party  of  men  from  Dunstable,  who  were  out  on  a 


1741]  THE  STATE  LINE.  57 

hunting  excursion  on  the  frontiers,  fell,  with  but  two  or  three 
exceptions,  by  the  hands  of  the  savages.  A  man  by  the  name 
of  Whitney  escaping,  built  him  a  hu.t  and  spent  the  winter  in 
the  wilderness.  On  the  return  of  spring,  Mr.  Timothy  Reed, 
born  March  21,  1714,  who  lived  on  the  west  side  of  Salmon 
Brook,  and  a  few  others,  went  in  search  of  their  lost  townsmen. 
On  approaching  the  hut  of  Whitney,  and  seeing  something 
move  among  the  bushes,  Mr.  Reed  discharged  his  musket,  and 
to  his  inexpressible  horror  found  that  he  had  killed  one  of  his 
neighbors.  His  sorrow  followed  him  to  the  grave.* 

The  number  of  families  in  Dunstable  in  1730  was  about 
fifty,  and  ^90  were  raised  for  the  salary  of  Mr.  Prentice, 
together  with  a  small  sum  for  the  support  of  a  "  writing 
school."  Mr.  Prentice  died  Feb.  27,  1737,  much  lamented  by 
his  people.  He  was  a  good  preacher,  and  his  wife,  who  sur- 
vived him,  was  noted  for  her  love  of  out-of-door  exercise  and 
of  target-shooting,  in  which  she  sometimes  bore  away  the 
prize. 

The  Rev.  Josiah  Swan,  H.  C.  1733,  was  ordained  over  the 
church  Dec.  27,  1738,  and  about  this  period  a  new  church 
edifice,  which  stood  near  the  old  burial-place  at  Little's  Station, 
was  dedicated.  Mr.  Swan  continued  to  preach  in  the  new 
church  until  some  time  in  1746,  when  he  resigned  his  pastorate, 
and  subsequently  became  a  noted  school-teacher  in  Lancaster. 

In  1739,  the  westerly  part  of  Dunstable,  called  by  the 
Indians  Nissitisset,  was  incorporated  with  the  title  of  "  The 
West  Parish  of  Dunstable,"  which  soon  afterwards  became  the 
town  of  Hollis  The  westerly  part  of  Hollis  was  in  1769 
incorporated  by  the  name  of  Raby,  which  was  subsequently 
changed  to  that  of  Brookline.  The  town  of  Dunstable  was 
thus  gradually  reduced  in  size  until  1741,  when,  by  the  run- 
ning of  the  divisional  line  between  the  States  of  New  Hamp- 
shire and  Massachusetts,  in  regard  to  which  a  long  and  bitter 
controversy  had  been  carried  on,  the  above-mentioned  towns, 
together  with  the  territory  that  for  some  time  bore  the  name 
of  Dunstable,  then  Nashville,  and  which  has  since  become  the 

*  See  Reed  Family,  p.  1 56. 


5  8  HISTOR  Y  OF  D UNSTABLE.  [  1 74 1 

city  of  Nashua,  were  set  off  to  the  former  State,  leaving 
Dunstable  proper,  which  then  included  Tyngsborough,  in  the 
State  of  Massachusetts. 

Omitting,  then,  farther  notice  of  the  parts  exscinded  from 
the  original  town  of  Dunstable,  and  making  only  an  occasional 
reference  to  the  town  of  Tyngsborough,  I  proceed  according 
to  the  method  I  adopted  for  the  writing  of  this  history. 


. 


6o  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABl.K.  ^873 


CHAPTER    V. 

TOPOGRAPHY  OF  DUNSTABLE. —  THE  WATER  SUPPLY.  —  NASHUA  RlVER. — 
UNQUETYNASSET  BROOK.  —  SALMON  BROOK.  —  HOWARD'S  BROOK.  — 
OTHER  BROOKS.  —  MASSAPOAG  POND.  —  THE  GULF.  —  THE  DISRUPTION 
OF  THE  DAM.  —  LITTLE  MASSAPOAG  POND.  —  FLAT  ROCK  HILL. — 
BLANCHARD'S  HILL.  —  NUTTING'S  HILL.  —  FOREST  HILL  AND  OTHER 
EMINENCES.  —  SCENIC  BEAUTY  OF  THE  TOWN.  —  GEOLOGY  AND  MIN- 
ERALOGY.—  SLATESTONE.  —  BOWLDERS.  —  IRON  ORE  — OTHER  MINERALS. 
—  SOIL  AND  PRODUCTIONS.  —  THE  INHABITANTS.  —  OLD  HOUSES. 

"  I  never  view  the  thriving  villages  of  New  England,  which  speak  so 
forcibly  to  the  heart  of  happiness  and  prosperity,  without  feeling  a  glow 
of  national  pride,  as  I  say,  '  This  is  my  own,  my  native  land  ! ' ' 

MRS.  L.  M.  CHILD. 

"  How  often  have  I  paused  on  every  charm  ! 
The  sheltered  cot,  the  cultivated  farm, 
The  never-failing  brook,  the  busy  mill, 
The  decent  church  that  topped  the  neighboring  hill." 

DR.  OLIVER  GOLDSMITH. 

TOPOGRAPHY.  —  The  present  town  of  Dunstable,  incor- 
porated Oct.  1 6,  1673,  is  pleasantly  situated  in  the  northerly 
part  of  Middlesex  County,  Mass.,  and  has  for  its  boundaries 
Nashua,  N.  H.,  by  a  straight  line  on  the  north,  Tyngsborough, 
by  a  circuitous  course  on  the  east  and  southeast,  the  same 
and  Groton  on  the  south,  and  Pepperell,  from  which  it  is  in 
part  separated  by  the  Nashua  River,  on  the  west.  By  the 
State  trigonometrical  survey,  the  church  is  in  latitude  42°  40' 
27.96"  north  and  in  longitude  71°  29'  18.63"  west.  It  is 
thirty-three  miles  northwest  of  Boston,  ten  miles  northwest  ol 
Lowell,  and  seven  miles  south  of  Nashua,  N.  H. 

The  township  is  somewhat  irregular  in  form,  and  embraces 
in  all  sixteen  and  thirteen  thirty-seconds  square  miles,  or 
10,500  acres  of  territory.  This  is  divided  into  ninety  farms, 
which  are  again  subdivided  by  substantial  stone  or  rail  fences 


1873]  WATER    SUPPLY.  6 1 

into  lots  of  convenient  size  for  gardens,  orchards,  tillage,  pas- 
turage, and  woodland. 

Though  for  the  most  part  broken  and  uneven,  the  land  is 
almost  all  susceptible  of  cultivation,  and  presents  an  admirable 
variety  of  situation,  hill  and  valley,  upland  and  meadow,  suited 
to  the  different  needs  and  purposes  of  the  husbandman.  As 
indicated  by  the  current  of  the  streams,  the  general  inclination 
of  the  surface  of  the  land  is  towards  the  north. 

WATER  SUPPLY.  —  The  town  is  well  supplied  with  water 
and  has  considerable  hydraulic  power.  For  a£>out  two  miles 
and  a  quarter  along  the  western  border  flows  in  a  gentle  cur- 
rent the  beautiful  NASHUA*  RIVER,  once  the  favorite  resort  of 
the  aborigines.  It  was  anciently  called  the  "  Watananock." 
It  is  on  an  average  about  twelve  rods  wide,  and  from  three  to 
fifteen  feet  deep.  The  water  is  clear  and  sweet,  the  banks  of 
the  stream  are  low  and  in  the  summer  fringed  with  flowers. 
From  Pepperell  to  Hollis  the  fall  is  about  forty  feet,  and  in 
the  vicinity  of  Slatestone  Hill  it  has  been  recently  ascertained 
by  actual  survey  that  there  is  an  excellent  mill-privilege,  at 
which  a  dam  may  be  erected  with  a  head  of  some  twelve  feet. 
This  power  will  doubtless  soon  be  utilized.  A  little  steamboat 
has  passed  up  this  river  from  Hollis  to  Pepperell. 

Although  the  water  of  this  fine  stream  now  turns  no  mill 
in  Dunstable,  it  still  serves  to  decorate  the  landscape,  and 
to  supply  the  basket  of  the  angler  with  the  best  of  perch 
and  pickerel ;  while  the  intervals  on  the  stream  produce 
abundantly  both  hay  and  pasturage  for  the  cattle  of  the 
husbandman. 

The  chief  tributary  of  Nashua  River  from  Dunstable  is 
UNQUETY,  or  as  anciently  called,  UNQUETYNASSET  BROOK,  a 
pretty  little  trout  and  mill  stream,  that,  rising  near  Chestnut 
Hill,  in  Groton,  enters  the  southwestern  angle  of  the  town, 
where  it  forms  a  pond  for  a  saw  and  stave  mill,  in  the  romantic 
village  of  Unquety,  and,  pursuing  thence  a  northwesterly 
course  through  fertile  meadows,  reaches  the  Nashua  River 
about  a  mile  south  of  the  State  line.  This  meandering  stream 

*  The  word  "  Nashua  "  signifies  a  "  point  of  land  at  the  confluence  of  two 
rivers." 


62  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 

is  still  the  highway  of  the  mink,  muskrat,  and  otter  from  the 
Nashua  River  to  the  Massapoag  Ponds. 

The  central  part  of  the  town  is  well  drained  by  the  SALMON 
BROOK,  a  valuable  stream,  well  stored  with  fish,  that,  flowing 
from  Massapoag  Pond,  pursues  a  northerly  course  through  the 
Lower  Massapoag  Pond,  and  dividing  the  township  nearly  in 
the  middle,  empties  into  the  Merrimack  River,  at  what  is 
called  "The  Harbor"  in  Nashua.  It  receives  two  tributaries 
from  the  west,  one  of  which,  called  BARNES  BROOK,  proceed- 
ing from  a  swamp  in  the  southwest,  furnishes  motive-power 
for  Mr.  George  Parkhurst's  saw-mill,  and  the  other,  known 
from  early  times  as  JOINT  GRASS  BROOK,  after  receiving 
the  water  of  Spring  Brook,  turns  the  grist  and  saw  mill  of  Mr. 
Daniel  Swallow. 

Salmon  Brook  receives,  also,  an  affluent  named  BLACK 
BROOK  from  the  east,  which,  on  being  augmented  by  two  or 
three  small  streams,  forms  motive-power  for  Mr.  James 
Woodward's  grist  and  saw  mill,  near  the  centre  of  the  town. 
There  is  a  fine  mill-privilege  on  the  Salmon  Brook,  where  it 
issues  from  Massapoag  Pond  at  what  is  called  "  The  Gulf," 
but  the  waters  now  roll  uselessly  over  a  dam  of  about  ten 
feet  in  height.  This  famous  brook,  as  its  name,  found  in  the 
earliest  records,  would  imply,  was  once  noted  for  its  supply 
of  salmon.  It  is  navigable  for  small  boats  from  "  The  Harbor" 
to  the  Great  Massapoag  Pond.  Along  its  banks  some  of  the 
original  settlements  of  the  whites  were  made,  and  from  its 
fertile  meadows  their  barns  were  well  supplied  with  hay ;  its 
current,  as  we  shall  hereafter  see,  was  once  along  the  valley 
of  Black  Brook. 

HOWARD'S,  sometimes  called  HOLDEN'S  BROOK,  rises  in  the 
northern  base  of  Nutting's  Hill,  and  by  a  devious  course 
makes  its  way  easterly  into  Tyngsborough,  where  it  affords 
some  motive-power,  and  then  discharges  its  waters  into 
Merrimack  River.  Its  ancient  name  was  Little  Naacook, 
and  a  section  of  it  near  the  Tyngsborough  line  is  called 
SEVEN-STAR  BROOK.  One  of  its  affluents,  called  WELD'S 
BROOK,  perpetuates  the  name  of  the  first  minister  of  the  town. 

A  fine  little  stream,  known  as  BLODGETT'S  BROOK,  rises 


1873]  WATER  SUPPLY.  63 

about  a  mile  south  of  the  source  of  Howard's  Brook,  and 
running  southeasterly  through  a  pleasant  valley,  becomes  an 
affluent  of  Bridge  Meadow,  anciently  Great  Naacook,  Brook, 
which  reaches  the  Merrimack  River  at  Tyngsborough  Centre. 

A  small  tributary  of  the  last-named  brook  rises  on  the 
easterly  confines  of  the  town,  and,  running  along  the  boun- 
dary for  about  a  mile,  enters  Tyngsborough  a  little  to  the 
southeast  of  Forest  Hill.  Another  rivulet,  rising  in  the  town 
last  mentioned,  and  called  SEWALL'S  BROOK,  flows  westerly 
through  a  corner  of  Dunstable  into  Massapoag  Pond. 

There  are  in  all,  then,  as  many  as  six  mill-privileges  within 
the  limits  of  the  town,  —  one  on  Nashua  River,  one  on  Salmon 
Brook,  two  on  tributaries  coming  into  it  from  the  west,  one  on 
Black  Brook,  where  a  saw-mill  was  erected  anterior  to  the 
Revolution,  entering  it  from  the  east,  and  one  on  Unquety- 
nasset  Brook  at  the  pleasant  village  of  that  name. 

MASSAPOAG,*  called  in  a  plan  of  John  Tyng's  land,  1692, 
MASSHAPEAGE  POND,  having  an  area  of  more  than  one  hun- 
dred acres,  lies  partly  in  Dunstable,  Tyngsborough,  and  Gro- 
ton. It  is  formed  by  the  waters  of  Cowpen  Brook  from  Groton. 
A  stone  post  upon  an  island  in  the  westerly  part  of  the  pond 
indicates  the  boundary  of  these  several  towns.f  This  fine 
sheet  of  water,  which  originally  was  full  of  islands  and  had  an 
area  of  more  than  six  hundred  acres,  is  enclosed  by  hills  and 
headlands,  affording  many  admirable  scenic  views.  It  is  well 
stored  with  pickerel,  perch,  and  bream,  which,  together  with 
the  wild  fowl  frequenting  it,  render  it  a  favorite  resort  of  the 
angler  and  the  fowler.  In  former  times  the  Indian  built  his 
wigwam  on  the  margin  of  this  fair  lake,  and  furrowed  its  clear 
waters  with  his  light  birch  canoe.  When  the  English  settlers 
arrived  they  found  it  teeming  with  salmon,  shad,  and  alewives, \ 

*  The  meaning  of  the  word  is  "  Great  Pond." 

t  In  a  plan  of  Groton,  made  by  Jonathan  Danforth  in  1668,  the  line  of  that  town 
extended  from  Massapoag  Pond  northerly,  by  Edward  Cowell's  farm,  Billerica 
land,  and  Boston  farms  to  Buck  Meadow,  and  thence  two  miles  westerly  to  a 
point  at  the  short  turning  of  the  Nashua  River  a  little  below  the  Nissitisset  Hills. 
It  gives  about  one  half  of  the  pond  to  Groton. 

}  The  Legislature  passed  a  law  Feb.  20,  1807,  forbidding  "  any  person  whatever 
in  the  night-time  to  kill,  take,  or  destroy  any  fish  in  the  pond  called  Massapaug 


64 


HISTORY  OF  D  UNSTABLE. 


which  the  dams  on  the  Merrimack  River  long  since  pre- 
vented from  ascending  to  this  point.  A  few  trout  are  still 
found  in  it,  and  now  and  then  a  chevin  is  drawn  from  its 
deep  waters. 

The  outlet  of  the  pond,  now  on  the  north,  and  known  as 
"  The  Gulf,"  is  one  of  the  most  wild  and  romantic  spots  in 
Dunstable  A  natural  embankment  or  dam,  more  than  thirty 
feet  in  height  and  several  rods  wide,  almost  encloses  the  pond 
at  this  point,  rendering  it  evident  that  the  waters  at  an  early 
period  were  much  higher  than  at  present,  and  that  they  over- 
flowed a  large  extent  of  territory.  This  mound  of  earth,  now 
covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  oak  and  pine  trees,  some  of 
which  have  been  uprooted  by  a  recent  hurricane,  bears  the 
marks  of  a  great  inundation.  The  tradition  is  that  in  early 
times  the  outlet  of  the  lake  was  on  the  east,  and  that  the 
Salmon  Brook,  instead  of  issuing,  as  it  now  does,  by  a  fall  of 
some  ten  feet  from  the  northern  point  of  the  pond  at  what  is 
called  "  The  Gulf,  "  started  from  an  outlet  at  the  point  where 
Sewall's  Brook,  by  a  fall  of  about  twenty  feet,  now  enters  the 
pond,  and  made  its  way  by  the  valley  of  the  Black  Brook, 
which  at  present  enters  it  about  a  mile  southwest  of  the  centre 
of  the  town.  This  view  is  confirmed  by  the  earliest  deeds  of 
the  land  as  well  as  by  the  plots  of  the  pond.  In  a  plan  of  Mr. 
John  Tyng's  farm,  1692,  the  outlet  of  the  pond  is  on  the  east, 
at  what  is  now  called  Sewall's  Brook  ;  but  as  that  brook  at 
present  falls  into  the  pond  by  a  descent  of  some  twenty  feet,  it 
is  evident  that  the  lake,  when  discharging  its  waters  at  that 
point,  must  have  been  more  than  twenty  feet  higher  than  it 
now  appears,  and  that  it  must  have  covered  an  area  some  five 
or  six  times  larger  than  at  the  present  period.  The  shore  of 
the  pond,  as  it  originally  existed,  may  in  some  places  still  be 
traced  by  the  level  strata  of  sand  and  pebble-stones  along 
the  hillsides.  In  early  times  Samuel  Adams,  probably  a  son 
of  Capt.  Samuel  Adams,  of  Chelmsford,  whose  death  occurred 
on  the  24th  of  January,  1688,  cut  a  channel  through  the 

Pond,  lying  between  the  towns  of  Dunstable,  Groton,  and  Tyngsborough."  under 
a  penalty  of  fifty  cents  for  each  fish  so  taken.  See  Massachusetts  Sixth  Annual 
Report  on  Inland  Fisheries  ;  p.  96. 


1 700]  "THE   GULF."  65 

natural  dam  at  "  The  Gulf,"  and  erected  thereon  the  first  grist- 
mill in  the  town  of  Dunstable. 

It  is  related  that  in  the  time  of  a  great  freshet  Mr.  Adams 
left  his  mill  in  charge  of  a  negro  servant,  who,  from  being  kept 
on  a  very  scanty  allowance  of  cold  bean-porridge,  bore  no  good- 
will towards  his  parsimonious  master.  While  this  ill-fed  negro 
was  running  the  mill,  he  observed  that  the  swollen  waters  of 
the  lake  —  here  more  than  thirty  feet  in  depth  —  had  made  a 
small  opening  through  the  sand  of  the  embankment.  He  might 
have  stopped  the  current  with  his  hand  or  hat,  but  thinking, 
as  he  said,  of  the  smallness  of  the  bits  of  meat  in  his  bean- 
porridge,  he  concluded  to  let  the  water  have  its  course  ;  and  so, 
gradually  enlarging  the  opening,  and  gathering  force  as  the 
sand  gave  way,  it  soon  broke  with  irresistible  impetus  through 
the  mound,  and  sweeping  the  mill,  the  dam,  with  every  other 
barrier  before  it,  completely  flooded  the  whole  valley  below. 
By  this  catastrophe  the  pond  was  greatly  reduced  in  size  and 
depth,  the  old  outlet  on  the  east  was  left  on  high  ground,  an 
immense  number  of  fish  perished  in  those  places  whence  the 
water  had  been  drawn,  the  course  of  the  Salmon  Brook,  as  it 
now  appears,  was  determined,  and  a  new  pond  of  some  fifty 
acres,  called  the  LOWER  MASSAPOAG  POND,  was  created.* 

This  is  in  part  traditional,  to  be  sure ;  yet  no  one  standing 
at  "  The  Gulf,"  and  observing  the  marks  of  the  disruption  of  the 
embankment,  together  with  the  water-marks  encircling  the  fine 
peninsula  near  by,  can  for  a  moment  doubt  that  some  such 
catastrophe  has  in  former  times  occurred. 

Some  time  after  the  breaking  of  the  dam,  another  grist-mill 

was  erected  at  "  The  Gulf,"  and  Jonathan  Woodward,  Sr.,  who 

A _  ^___, , 

•Jonathan  Danforth,  who  surveyed  Massapoag  Pond  in  1688,  represents  it  as 
"full  of  small  islands."  On  the  2ist  of  May  of  the  same  year,  the  town  of  Groton 
granted  a  small  pond  near  Buck  Meadow  to  Samuel  Adams,  and  also  permission 
to  drain  it  by  a  brook  running  into  Tyng's  Cove.  At  the  same  time  the  town 
offered  the  wood  on  the  easterly  side  of  Unquetynasset  Brook  to  any  one  that 
would  set  up  iron  works  on  Massapoag  Pond.  The  time  of  the  destruction  of 
Mr.  Adams's  mill  is  a  matter  of  conjecture.  Timber  trees  more  than  two  feet  in 
diameter  were  cut  fifty  years  ago  from  places  formerly  covered  by  the  waters  of 
the  old  pond.  In  his  history  of  Groton  (p.  246),  Mr.  Butler  places  the  date  of 
the  flood  at  about  1700,  and  says  the  area  of  the  pond,  anterior  to  the  catastro- 
phe, was  "  equal  to  a  square  mile  or  more," 
S 


66  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l/94 

attained  the  remarkable  age  of  one  hundred  and  one  years 
seven  months  and  thirteen  days,  was  the  miller.  His  wife, 
iu!e  Sarah  Read,  a  very  stout  woman,  assisted  him  in  his  labor, 
and  easily  removed  the  bags  of  grain  from  the  back  of  a  horse 
to  the  hopper  of  the  mill.  She  is  said  to  have  weighed  nearly 
four  hundred  pounds.  In  an  old  account-book  kept  by  Joel 
Parkhurst,  Esq.,  I  find  the  following  items :  "  Dunstable, 
Novr.  ye  25th  1775,  then  Mr.  Jonathan  Woodward  Came  to  live 
at  ye  Goulf.  Sept.  6th  1776,  then  began  to  Repare,  the  mill  at 
the  gulf."  Leonard,  son  of  Joel  Parkhurst,  had  charge  of  this 
mill  nearly  up  to  the  close  of  the  last  century.  An  Indian 
family  long  resided  in  the  vicinity,  supporting  themselves  by 
fishing,  and  making  baskets. 

According  to  a  plan  of  Dunstable  drawn  in  1794,  Massapoag 
Pond  covered  an  area  of  only  seventy-four  acres.  A  fulling- 
mill,  in  charge  of  Joseph  Tucker,  took  the  place  of  the  grist- 
mill at  "  The  Gulf"  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century. 
To-day  the  water  is  controlled  by  manufacturers  on  Salmon 
Brook  in  Nashua,  and  the  music  of  the  cascade  is  broken  only 
by  the  shrill  whistle  of  the  locomotive  engine  as  it  speeds 
along  through  the  sequestered  valley.  As  its  waters  are  clear 
and  pure,  it  will  doubtless  soon  be  made  to  furnish  ice  for 
market. 

This  pond  was  a  favorite  resort  of  the  aborigines,  and  many 
of  their  rude  implements  have  been  found  in  this  vicinity. 
They  are  made  of  a  hard,  white,  gray,  or  black  stone  not  found 
in  Dunstable.  Mrs.  Zebulon  Blodgett,  living  in  a  very  old 
house  near  the  pond,  has  twelve  Indian  relics,  all  of  black 
stone.  Three  of  them  are  gouges,  and  the  edge  of  one  of  these 
is  very  sharp.  Another  is  a  very  curious  instrument,  usecf 
perhaps  for  scraping  skins  ;  another  is  a  kind  of  axe  or  toma- 
hawk ;  another  polished  article,  together  with  six  arrow-heads, 
make  up  the  little  cabinet.  An  Indian  hearth  near  the  house 
is  still  visible.  Mrs.  Peter  Kendall,  in  the  same  vicinity,  has 
also  many  curious  Indian  relics  discovered  near  the  pond,  the 
use  of  some  of  which  it  were  not  easy  to  determine. 

Messrs.  John  A.  and  Albert  L.  Parkhurst,  whose  ancestors 
owned  the  mill  at  "  The  Gulf,"  have  an  Indian  gouge  about 


1/94]  MASSAPOAG  POND.  67 

fourteen  inches  long  and  made  of  hard  stone,  the  edge  of 
which  is  very  keen  and  finely  polished.  They  have  also  pes- 
tles and  arrow-heads  of  seven  different  kinds  of  stone,  one  of 
them  being  very  long  and  slender.  They  have  also  an  instru- 
ment in  the  form  of  a  spinning  top,  a  hollow  stone  cylinder, 
and  other  articles.  These  old  implements,  together  with  the 
Indian  names  of  "  Nashua,"  "  Massapoag,"  and  "  Unquety- 
nasset,"  are  almost  the  only  memorials  now  remaining  of  the 
race  of  red  men  who,  a  little  more  than  two  hundred  years  ago, 
called  the  lakes  and  streams  of  Dunstable  their  own. 

The  natives  certainly  manifested  much  skill,  as  well  as 
patience,  in  the  production  of  their  implements.  The  few  that 
have  been  preserved  should  be  held  as  precious  treasures  by 
their  owners,  being  associated,  as  they  are,  with  men  who  once 
lighted  their  council-fires  on  the  margin  of  the  pond,  and  from 
its  vast  expense  of  water  gave  it  the  name  of  MASSAPOAG, 
which  appellation  one  of  their  chiefs  is  said  to  have  assumed. 

A  son  of  Dunstable  thus  gracefully  refers  to  the  departure 
of  the  red  men  from  Massapoag  Pond  :  — 

LINES    ON  THE   GREAT   POND   AT  DUNSTABLE. 

Oft  have  I  gazed  upon  the  scene 
Where  curve  thy  shores  so  brightly  green, 
When  evening  tinged  the  glowing  west 
And  heaven  was  mirrored  on  thy  breast. 

Fairest  of  lakes,  along  thy  shore 
The  Indian  hunter  strays  no  more  ; 
The  white  man's  iron  heel  has  crushed 
His  every  hope  ;  his  voice  is  hushed. 

And  yet  when  Luna's  pearly  light 
Falls  softly  on  thy  waters  bright, 
To  Fancy's  eye  dark  forms  appear, 
And  slowly,  sadly,  wander  near. 

Their  tribes  are  gone  ;  we  careless  tread 
Upon  the  graves  which  hold  their  dead  ; 
And  where  the  wigwam's  smoke  arose 
Our  flocks  and  herds  in  peace  repose. 


68  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l8/3 

The  dark-browed  brave  shall  breathe  no  more 
His  tale  of  love  along  thy  shore  ; 
Nor  Indian  maid  within  thy  bowers 
Twine  in  her  hair  the  woodland  flowers. 

But  beauty  lingers  round  thee  still,  — 
The  wave,  the  shore,  the  wooded  hill ; 
And  the  red  chieftain's  name  in  thee 

Has  found  an  immortality. 

DANIEL  H.  JAQUES. 

THE  HILLS  OF  THE  TOWN.  —  Dunstable  has  many  beautiful 
eminences,  which  diversify  and  enhance  the  beauty  of  its 
scenery.  FLAT  ROCK  HILL,  in  the  northerly  part  of  the 
town,  forms,  with  its  rounded  sides  and  wooded  summit,  a  very 
pleasing  feature  in  the  landscape.  It  commands  a  fine  view 
of  the  valley  of  Salmon  Brook,  and  from  its  extensive  granite 
quarries  promises  to  be  of  great  value  to  the  town.  The 
extensive  forest  on  this  hill  abounds  in  partridges,  rabbits, 
squirrels  red  and  gray,  and  here  "  the  wild  fox  digs  its  hole 
unscared."  A  more  solitary  place  is  seldom  seen.  A  pile  of 
stone  in  the  midst  of  the  tangled  wood  of  this  hill  still  reminds 
the  visitor  of  the  northern  terminus  of  the  line  that  once 
formed  the  boundary  between  Dunstable  and  Groton.  The 
Nashua,  Acton,  and  Boston  Railroad  enters  the  town  between 
this  hill  and  Salmon  Brook. 

BLANCHARD'S  HILL  rises,  as  a  twin  sister  of  the  former,  on 
the  west,  and  is  a  favorite  resort  for  berry  parties  in  the  sum- 
mer season.  From  its  summit  may  be  seen  the  spires  of  the 
churches  in  Hollis,  Pepperell,  and  Londonderry.  The  valley, 
winding  along  the  western  base  of  this  eminence,  and  through 
which  a  cool,  clear  trout  brook  makes  its  way,  is  very  charming. 

On  the  opposite  or  eastern  side  of  Salmon  Brook  rises  a 
long  and  well-cultivated  eminence,  over  which  extends  the 
main  road  to  Nashua.  The  southerly  part  is  called  ROBY, 
and  the  northerly  part  KENDALL  HILL.  The  farms  and 
buildings  on  this  elevation  appear  from  several  of  the  adja- 
cent hills  to  great  advantage.  The  stately  elms  and  ample 
barns  attest  the  excellence  of  the  land. 

Directly  east  of  this  pleasant  eminence  is  the  wooded  rise 


1873]  THE  HILLS  OF  DUNSTABLE.  6g 

of  land  called  NUTTING'S  HILL,  which  has  perhaps  an  altitude 
of  two  hundred  feet,  and  which  affords  a  delightful  prospect  of 
the  surrounding  country,  diversified  by  meadow,  forest,  and 
glade,  and  dotted  with  white  farm-houses  where  peace  and 
plenty  dwell. 

FOREST  HILL  is  a  conspicuous  eminence  in  the  southeast 
angle  of  the  town,  from  which  a  splendid  view  of  the  Tyngs- 
borough  forests,  of  the  Merrimack  River,  and  of  Lowell  is 
obtained  in  the  east ;  while  towards  the  west  and  northwest 
the  eye  ranges  over  the  village  at  the  centre,  the  distant 
towns  of  Pepperell,  Hollis,  and  Brookline,  and  rests  upon  the 
summits  of  the  Wachusett,  the  Watatick,  the  Grand  Monad- 
nock,  and  the  Peterborough  Mountains.  It  is  the  highest 
point  of  land  in  Dunstable,  and  was  made  a  station  in  the 
trigonometrical  survey  of  the  State.  A  good  road  extends 
nearly  to  the  summit,  and  a  cool  spring  refreshes  the  traveller 
by  the  way. 

HORSE  HILL,  partly  in  Groton,  overlooks  Massapoag  Pond 
and  the  valley  of  Unquety  Brook ;  and  WALL  HILL,  near  the 
preceding  elevation,  was  divided  for  the  railroad  bed,  when  a 
fine  specimen  of  blue  clay  was  brought  to  light  which  may 
prove  serviceable  to  its  owners. 

HOUND  MEADOW  HILL,  in  the  northwesterly  section  of  the 
town,  is  said  to  have  received  its  name  from  the  circumstance 
that  when  Groton  was  assaulted  by  the  Indians  during  Philip's 
War,  a  pack  of  hounds,  employed  by  the  English,  pursued  a 
party  of  the  savages  to  this  eminence,  on  which  two  of  them 
were  slain. 

SLATESTONE  HILL  is  a  precipitous  and  picturesque  emi- 
nence on  the  right  bank  of  Nashua  River,  composed  of  slate- 
stone,  and  covered  with  a  fine  growth  of  timber. 

SPECTACLE  HILL,  so  named  from  its  resemblance  to  a  pair 
of  spectacles,  rises  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  town  and 
extends  into  Nashua,  N.  H.  It  is  also,  covered  with  a  fine 
growth  of  timber. 

Several  other  rounded  eminences,  either  wooded  or  culti- 
vated, serve  both  to  increase  the  scenic  beauty  of  the  town 
and  to  furnish  a  variety  of  soil  for  the  requirements  of  the 


70 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


agriculturist.  The  valley,  along  which  the  main  road  to 
Tyngsborough  extends,  is  remarkably  pleasant,  and  seems 
intended  for  the  construction  of  a  railway.  The  land  in  the 
southwestern  section  of  the  town  is  level  or  undulating. 

Although  the  natural  scenery  of  Dunstable  cannot  be  con- 
sidered grand  or  imposing,  it  still  is  very  beautiful.  Its 
numerous  hills  and  streams,  its  quiet  valleys  and  well-culti- 
vated farms,  with  their  neat  and  comfortable  dwelling-houses, 
often  shaded  by  the  elm  and  maple,  form  a  landscape  which 
the  eye  contemplates  with  delight.  So  far  as  varied,  rural, 
peaceful  prospects  are  to  be  regarded,  few  towns  in  Middlesex 
County  present  more  attractions  to  the  eye  than  Dunstable. 
One  must  travel  long  and  far  to  discover  any  scene  as  truly 
beautiful  as  that  which  charms  the  eye  on  Forest  Hill. 

GEOLOGY  AND  MINERALOGY.  —  The  underlying  rock  is  what 
is  called  Merrimack  schist.  It  is  a  gneissic  formation  of  the 
Eozoic  Period.  It  is  evidently  metamorphic,  having  been 
subjected  to  the  agency  of  fire.  Such  rocks  sometimes 
exhibit  traces  of  the  lower  forms  of  vegetable  and  animal 
life.  Several  ledges  afford  building  stone,  improperly  called 
granite,  of  a  good  quality,  which  may  yet  prove  lucrative. 
There  is  an  extensive  one  on  Flat  Rock  Hill,  which  yields 
fair  returns  for  the  labor  expended.  It  was  opened  many 
years  ago,  and  from  it  pillars  thirty  feet  in  length  have  been 
quarried.  The  grain  of  the  stone  is  fine,  the  color  a  light 
gray,  the  cleavage  easy,  and  in  quality  this  rock  is  considered 
equal  to  any  in  the  State.  The  supply  is  inexhaustible. 
The  upper  surface  of  some  of  these  ledges  bears  the  marks  of 
glacial  action.  The  groves  or  striae  run  from  north  to  south, 
and  indicate  that  some  solid  bodies  moving  in  that  direction 
once  furrowed  out  the  lines  on  the  face  of  the  rock.  There 
is  a  remarkable  ledge  of  this  description  on  the  farm  of  Dexter 
Butterfield,  where  these  glacial  marks  are  distinctly  seen. 
The  dip  of  the  ledge,  is  slightly  towards  the  east,  and  from 
the  summit  to  the  meadow  below  there  is  a  perpendicular 
descent  of  about  forty  feet. 

In  the  westerly  part  of  the  town,  between  the  Worcester 
and  Nashua  Railroad  and  the  Nashua  River,  there  -is  a 


18/3] 


SOIL  AND  PRODUCTIONS. 


wooded  eminence  of  more  than  fifty  feet  in  altitude,  consist- 
ing of  an  extensive  ledge  of  slatestone,  which  may  at  some 
future  time  be  quarried  to  advantage.  A  clear,  cold  spring 
issues  from  the  western  base,  over  which  the  rock  rises  almost 
perpendicularly.  This  picturesque  elevation  is  very  appropri- 
ately called  "  Slatestone  Hill."  Specimens  of  slate  are  a*lso 
found  above  the  saw-mill  on  Unquetynasset  Brook. 

Bowlders,  varying  in  form  and  size,  are  strewn  in  liberal 
profusion  over  the  surface  of  the  town,  having  been  borne 
hither  in  remote  ages  by  some  Titanic  force  for  some  benef- 
icent purpose.  They  are  used  for  building  walls  and  bridges  ; 
also  for  stoning  wells  and  cellars,  with  which  the  dwelling- 
houses  are  amply  provided.  Though  somewhat  troublesome 
to  the  farmer,  they  still,  by  disintegration,  improve  his  land, 
and  constitute  the  very  best  material  for  enclosing  it.  One 
of  these  huge  bowlders,  on  the  farm  of  the  late  Francis 
Fletcher,  has,  by  some  tremendous  agency,  been  rent  asunder, 
and  from  the  cleft  a  pure  spring  of  water  gushes  forth.  There 
is  another  large  cloven  bowlder  near  the  Tyngsborpugh  line. 

Good  bog-iron  ore  is  found  on  the  farm  of  the  late  Jasper 
P.  Proctor,  about  one  half  a  mile  southeast  of  the  centre  of 
the  town.  About  half  a  century  ago  this  ore  was  carried  to 
Chelmsford  and  worked  up  to  advantage.  Excellent  peat,  and 
also  clay  for  making  brick,  are  found  in  several  localities.  Crys- 
tallized quartz,  conglomerate,  ferruginous  gneiss,  and  asbestos 
are  of  common  occurrence.  An  immense  ledge,  two  thirds  of 
a  mile  east  of  the  centre,  furnishes  several  kinds  of  minerals, 
and  sea-sand  of  an  excellent  quality  is  found  near  Massapoag 
Pond.  A  mineral  spring  near  the  margin  of  this  lake  attracted 
some  attention  several  years  ago,  and  a  hotel  was  erected  for 
the  accommodation  of  visitors  ;  but  the  patronage  was  never 
extensive,  and  the  spring  is  now  covered  by  the  waters  of  the 
pond.  Another  small  spring,  strongly  impregnated  with  iron, 
has  lately  been  discovered  on  the  margin  of  Sewall's  Brook 
just  above  its  entrance  into  Massapoag  Pond. 

SOIL  AND  PRODUCTIONS.  —  The  soil  of  Dunstable  is  in 
the  main  a  gravelly  or  sandy  loam,  with  here  and  there  an 
intermixture  of  clay.  It  is  in  general,  even  to  the  summit  of 


72  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 

the  hills,  productive,  and  well  adapted  to  the  growth  of  hay, 
corn,  oats,  rye,  barley,  potatoes,  garden  vegetables,  fruit  and 
forest  trees.  The  number  of  acres  in  woodland  is  about  1,325, 
and  the  timber  growth  consists  of  red  and  white  oak,  maple, 
chestnut,  walnut,  white  and  yellow  pine,  gray  and  yellow 
birch,  alder  and  poplar.  Here  and  there  the  white  or  canoe 
birch,  the  black  and  white  ash,  the  willow,  the  spruce  and 
hemlock,  Norway  pine,  beach,  butternut,  cornus,  hornbeam, 
rock  or  sugar  maple,  and  hackmatack  occur.  Apple  orchards 
are  numerous,  and  the  landscape  is  in  many  places  beautified 
by  stately  elms  and  other  ornamental  trees,  which  have  been 
wisely  spared  in  clearing  off  the  forests  or  planted  by  the 
owners  of  the  soil.  The  long  rows  of  elms  in  the  centre  of 
the  town  furnish  grateful  shade  and  give  an  air  of  rural  beauty 
to  the  quiet  village. 

The  meadow  lands  abound  in  cranberries  ;  the  hills,  pastures, 
and  roadsides,  in  blueberries,  whortleberries,  blackberries,  and 
grapes,  whose  annual  gathering  affords  both  profit  and  diver- 
sion to  the  young  people.  In  the  lowlands  are  found  the  side- 
saddle flower,  the  fleur-de-lis ,  the  cardinal  flower,  and  the  blue 
gentian  ;  the  ground  laurel  (epigea  repens)  and  the  mountain 
laurel  appear  in  one  or  two  localities  ;  while  the  spring  beauty, 
the  white-weed  or  gowan,  the  aster,  golden  rod,  and  coreopsis 
blossom  profusely  in  their  respective  seasons. 

THE  INHABITANTS  OF  THE  TOWN.  —  The  people  of  Dun- 
stable  are  mostly  farmers,  occupying  to  a  large  extent  the 
lands  laid  out,  and  eating  the  fruit  of  the  orchards  planted  by 
the  hands  of  their  forefathers.  Many  families,  as,  for  example, 
those  bearing  the  name  of  Cummings,  Butterfield,  French, 
Fletcher,  Blood,  Kendall,  Blodgett,  Parker,  Parkhurst,  Proctor, 
Woods,  Woodward,  and  Swallow,  trace  their  lineage  back  to 
the  original  settlers,  and  in  some  instances  live  in  the  houses 
which  they  built. 

The  house  occupied  by  Mrs.  Zebulon  Blodgett  is  very 
ancient.  It  was  once  the  homestead  of  William  Blodgett,  who 
was  out  in  the  old  French  War.  It  was  once  or  twice,  in  the 
absence  of  the  men,  assaulted  by  the  Indians,  who  were  kept 
at  bay  by  the  stratagems  of  its  female  occupants.  The  house 


1873]  OLD  HOUSES.  73 

now  owned  by  Alpheus  Swallow,  Esq.,  was  built  by  one  of  his 
ancestors,  and  prior  to  its  being  repaired  had  over  a  door  the 
date  of  1757.  A  part  of  the  house  of  John  French,  great- 
grandfather of  Benjamin  French,  Esq.,  now  forms  one  of  his 
sheds  for  grain.  The  age  of  Dexter  Butterfield's  house,  built 
upon  the  site  of  that  once  occupied  by  Robert  Blood,  is  about 
one  hundred  years.  One  of  the  oldest  houses  in  town  is  that 
now  owned  by  James  T.  Burnap,  Esq.  It  was  built  by  Dea. 
Joseph  Fletcher  about  one  hundred  and  forty  years  ago,  and  is 
still  in  a  very  good  condition.  The  house  now  occupied  by 
Nathaniel  C.  Kendall  is  more  than  one  hundred  years  old.  It 
was  built  by  Capt.  Oliver  Cummings,  and  long  used  as  a 
tavern.  Mr.  Kendall  has  a  quarto  Bible,  of  the  date  of  1 747, 
and  a  copy  of  the  Worcester  Collection  of  Music,  published  in 
1788,  from  which  his  parents  learned  the  art  of  singing.  He 
has  also  two  very  large  pewter  platters  which  were  used  by 
the  Cummings  family  more  than  two  hundred  years  ago,  and 
a  small  teapot  used  by  Israel  Whitney,  who  died  at  Cape 
Breton  in  1745. 

The  present  citizens  of  Dunstable  are  industrious,  frugal, 
and  temperate.  They  are  are  noted  for  their  republican  sim- 
plicity, well-cultivated  farms,  pleasant  homesteads,  and  ample 
barns.  Their  school-houses,  highways,  and  bridges  are  kept  in 
good  repair.  The  town  is  out  of  debt,  and  in  respect  to  good 
order,  friendliness,  equality,  and  fraternity  is  a  most  desirable 
place  of  residence. 


74  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1743 


CHAPTER  VI. 

LINE  BETWEEN  THE  STATES  ESTABLISHED.  —  FIRST  RECORDED  ToWN-MEET- 
ING  IN  DUNSTABLE  PROPER. —  ANCIENT  ORTHOGRAPHY.  — NAMES  OF  THE 
TAX-PAYERS  IN  1744.  —  NOTICES  OF  THE  SAME. —  FIRST  INNHOLUER. 

—  PETITION   FOR  A   FORTIFICATION.  —  AGITATION   IN   RESPECT  TO  THE 
SHE  FOR  A  MEETING-HOUSE.  —  VOTE  IN   RESPECT  TO  GROTON  PEOPLE. 

—  FIRST   MENTION   OF  A   PUBLIC   SCHOOL.  —  WILD  ANIMALS. — CON- 
TROVERSY ON  THE  LOCATION  OF  THE  MEETING-HOUSE.  —  ORDKR  OF  GEN- 
ERAL COURT   IN   RESPECT  TO   GROTON   FAMILIES.  —  ERECTION  OF  THE 
MEETING- HOUSE.  —  ACCIDENT  AT  THE  RAISING  OF  THE  FRAME.  —  ROADS 
LAID  OUT. 

"  Every  church  hath  power  of  government  in  and  by  itself,  and  no 
church  or  officer  hath  power  over  one  another  but  by  way  of  advice  or 
counsel,  saving  that  the  General  Court  now  and  then  overrules  some 
church  matters."  THOMAS  LECHFORD. 

"  Where  is  that  glad  and  happy  throng, 

With  heart  elate  and  flashing  eye, 
Who  sported  here  ?     The  young,  the  strong,  — 
Where  are  they  ?     Let  the  grave  reply." 

D.    C.    COLESWORTHY. 

THE  celebrated  line  between  the  provinces  of  New  Hamp- 
shire and  Massachusetts  was  surveyed  and  established  by 
Richard  Hazen  during  the  month  of  February,  1741,  bringing 
about  two  thirds  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  old  parish  into  this 
State,  and  it  is  presumable  that  town  officers  were  that  year 
elected  in  Dunstable,  Mass. ;  but  the  few  first  pages  of  the 
earliest  book  of  records  are  unfortunately  gone,  and  it  is  now 
impossible  to  ascertain  who  were  the  public  officers  of  that  and 
the  ensuing  year. 

On  the  8th  of  February,  1743,  Eleazer  Tyng,  Joseph  Eaton, 
and  Jonathan  Taylor  petitioned  the  General  Court  for  permis- 
sion to  choose  town  officers,  since  the  previous  selectmen  had 
neglected  to  issue  a  warrant  for  that  purpose.  The  petition 


1744] 


ANCIENT  ORTHOGRAPHY. 


was  granted,  and  a  town-meeting,  the  first  recorded,  was  held 
at  the  house  of  Ebenezer  Kendall,*  March  5,  1743,  when  the 
following  officers  were  chosen  :  Eleazer  Tyng,  moderator  ; 
EleazerTyng,  John  Kendall,  and  John  Woodward,  selectmen  ; 
John  Woodward,  clerk  ;  Abraham  Kendall,  treasurer  ;  Oliver 
Farwell,  constable;  Thomas  Chamberlain,  tythingman;  Andrew 
Foster  and  Benjamin  Farwell,  surveyors  of  wood  ;  Jonathan 
Robbins  and  John  Woodward,  Jr.,  field-drivers  ;  Joseph  Davis 
and  Stephen  Adams,  fence-viewers  ;  Benjamin  Scott  and  David 
Taylor,  hog-reeves  ;  and  it  was  voted  that  Josiah  Blodgett 
"  shall  be  a  Dear  Reave  to  preven  ye  killing  of  Dear  out  of 
season." 

At  another  meeting,  held  at  the  house  of  Simon  Thompson,! 
Eleazer  Tyng,  Ebenezer  Parkhurst,  and  John  Kendall  were 
chosen  "  to  assist  John  Woodward,  ye  Town  clerk,  in  record- 
ing all  ye  Town  votes."  It  is  not  at  all  surprising,  though 
such  aid  were  rendered  the  recorder,  to  find  specimens  of 
orthography  on  the  archives  of  the  town  indicating  that  the 
schoolmaster  had  not  then  been  abroad  ;  the  arduous  work 
demanded  in  the  planting  of  a  town  leaves  but  little  time  or 
taste  for  the  grammar,  spelling-book,  or  dictionary.  The 
church  was  then  the  principal  school,  the  minister  the  in- 
structor, and  these  were  steadily  supported,  as  the  next  record 
in  the  old  stained  and  mutilated  folio  testifies  :  "  March  ye  28, 
1744,  voted  y*  Twenty  Pounds  in  Lawful  money  shall  be  Raised 
&  assessed  to  Suporte  ye  gospel  among  us."  Eleazer  Tyng, 
Esq.,  John  French,  and  Ebenezer  Kendall  were  then  chosen 
"  to  treate  with  the  Reverend  Mr.  Swan,  &  to  see  if  any  Thing 
was  due  to  him  from  ye  Town  of  Dunstabell  before  ye  Line  was 
Run  between  ye  said  Province." 

*  His  house  stood  a  little  to  the  northeast  of  the  central  cemetery.  He  peti- 
tioned the  General  Court,  Feb.  8,  1743,  for  license  to  keep  a  tavern  (Massachusetts 
Archives),  and  was  the  first  innholder  in  Dunstable,  Mass. 

t  He  lived  about  one  mile  west  of  what  is  now  Tyngsborough  Centre. 


76  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l/44 

THE  NAMES  OF  THE  TAX-PAYERS  AT  THIS  TIME  (1744),  AS  RECORDED 
ON  THE  TOWN    BOOK. 

ELEAZER  TYNG,  Esq.  TIMOTHY  BANCROFT. 

JOHN  FRENCH.  BENJAMIN  FARWELL. 

JOHN  CUMMINGS.  JOHN  FRENCH,  Jr. 

JONATHAN  TAYLOR.  JONATHAN  TAYLOR,  Jr. 

JOHN  KENDALL.  NOAH  TARBOX. 

ABRAHAM  TAYLOR.  STEPHEN  ADAMS. 

EBENEZER  PARKHURST.  JAMES  WHITNEY. 

NATHANIEL  CUMMINGS.  JONATHAN  ROBBINS. 

HENRY  FARWELL.  SAMUEL  HOWARD. 

JOHN  WOODWARD.  SAMUEL  ROBY. 

ABRAHAM  KENDALL.  THOMAS  ESTABROOK. 

ANDREW  FOSTER.  THOMAS  ESTABROOK,  Jr. 

EBENEZER  PROCTOR.  WILLIAM  SCOTT. 

EBENKZER  BUTTERFIELD.  ROBERT  BLOOD. 

SAMUEL  TAYLOR.  MOSES  ESTABROOK. 

ISAAC  COLBURN.  ZACHARIAH  ADAMS. 

JOSIAH  BLODGETT.  DAVID  TAYLOR. 

THOMAS  CHAMBERLAIN.  JOHN  WOODWARD,  Jr. 

JOHN  STEEL.  WILLIAM  BLANCHARD. 

OLIVER  COLBURN.  JOHN  KENDALL,  Jr. 

JOSEPH  EATON.  THOMAS  HOWARD. 

ROBERT  SCOTT.  JOSEPH  TAYLOR. 

ADFORD  JAQUITH.  JOHN  BUCK. 

EBENEZER  KENDALL.  GEORGE  ADDISON. 

THOMAS  FROST.  THOMAS  ADAMS. 

OLIVER  FARWELL.  TIMOTHY  TAYLOR. 

BENJAMIN  SCOTT.  EPHRAIM  ADAMS. 
Total,  54. 

It  may  be  noticed  of  the  above-mentioned  persons  that,  — 
ELEAZER  TYNG,  son  of  Hon.  Jonathan  and  Sarah  (Usher) 
Tyng,  was  born  April  3,  1690.  H.  C.  1712,  was  justice  of  the 
peace,  colonel  of  militia,  and  one  of  the  most  prominent  men 
of  the  town.  His  name  appears  on  many  deeds  and  other 
papers  of  his  day. 

JOHN  FRENCH  was  the  son  of  Lieut.  William  and  Sarah 
(Cummings)  French,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Dunstable,- 
and  was  born  May  6,  1691.  He  lived  on  the  homestead  now 
occupied  by  Benjamin  French,  Esq.,  and  a  part  of  his  house 
still  remains.  July  4,  1719,  Samuel,  Joseph,  John,  Ebenezer, 
and  Alice  French  sell  for  ^50  to  Nathaniel  Cummings  one 
half  of  a  thirty-acre  lot,  formerly  belonging  to  John  Viall  of 
Boston. 


I744]  TAX-PAYERS.  77 

JOHN  CUMMINGS  was  the  son  of  Nathaniel  Cummings,  and 
was  born  Jan.  14,  1698.  He  was  a  captain  of  militia,  and  died 
Aug.  15,  1770.  He  gave  a  bond,  Feb.  3,  1729,  to  maintain 
his  mother  Abigail,  wife  of  Nathaniel  Cummings,  which  was 
witnessed  by  Eleazer  Tyng  and  William  Butterfield. 

JONATHAN  TAYLOR  was  descended  from  William  Taylor, 
who  came  from  England. 

Lieut.  JOHN  KENDALL  was  the  son  of  John  Kendall,  of 
Woburn,  and  was  born  Jan.  19,  1696.  He  died  July  27,  1759. 
He  was  the  father  of  Dea.  Zebedee  Kendall,  and  grandfather 
of  the  Hon.  Amos  ^Cendall.  Several  brothers  of  the  name 
of  Kendall  settled  in  Dunstable,  a  little  south  of  the  present 
line  of  Nashua,  N.  H.,  about  the  year  1720.  John  Kendall 
sold  to  Nathaniel  Cummings,  Dec.  14,  1739,  "a  Sartain  peace 
of  meddow  Land  Lying  in  Dunstable  aforesaid  and  in  Brattles 
Farm  so  called  and  on  ye  Weste  side  of  Salmon  Brook,  half 
an  acre  by  measure."  The  deed  was  witnessed  by  John 
Woodward  and  Jonathan  Lovewell. 

Ensign  EBENEZER  PARKHURST  came  to  Dunstable  from 
Chelmsford  subsequent  to  1726,  and  settled  on  the  place  now 
occupied  by  Albert  L.  and  John  A.  Parkhurst,  about  a  mile 
south  of  the  centre  of  the  town.  He  died  June  13,  1757,  in 
his  fifty-eighth  year.  The  children  of  Ebenezer  and  Sarah 
Parkhurst  were,  i.  Joseph,  born  Aug.  30,  1724;  2.  Ebenezer, 
born  Jan.  20,  1728;  3.  Sarah,  born  Feb.  21,  1730;  4.  Mary, 
born  May  3,  1733  ;  5.  Silas,  born  Sept.  I,  1737;  and  6.  Joel, 
born  Aug.  3,  1741.  John  Spaulding,  of  Groton,  sold  to  Eben- 
ezer Parkhurst,  March  8,  1749,  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  of  land,  boimded  in  part  by  Brattle's  Farm  and  lying 
on  Salmon  Brook. 

HENRY  FARWELL,  son  of  Henry  Farwell,  of  Chelmsford, 
married  Esther,  daughter  of  Capt.  Joseph  Blanchard,  and 
lived  a  little  south  of  the  Danforth  place,  in  what  is  now 
Tyngsborough.  His  brother  Josiah,  who  escaped  from  the 
ambuscade  at  Naticook,  was  killed  in  Capt.  John  Lovewell's 
fight  with  Paugus,  at  Pequawket.  John  Bulkley  sold  land, 
Dec.  25,  1710,  to  Henry  Farwell  on  Little  Naacook  or 
Howard's  Brook.  In  1721  Henry  Farwell  conveys  "Mill- 


78  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l/44 

stone  Meadow"  to  John  French,  and  in  1745  a  certain  lot 
of  land  to  Joseph  Danforth. 

JOHN  WOODWARD  died  July  18,  1738.  The  family  came 
from  Reading,  and  is  still  represented  by  that  of  James  Wood- 
ward, of  Dunstable. 

EBENEZER  PROCTOR  married  Elizabeth  Blood,  of  Groton, 
Nov.  25,  1735. 

EBENEZER  BUTTERFIELD  married  Alice ,  and  was  a 

member  of  the  church  in  1757.  The  family  came  from 
Chelmsford. 

SAMUEL  TAYLOR,  son  of  Abraham  Tailor,  was  born  Oct. 
i,  1708.  He  married  Susan  Perham,  was  chosen  deacon  in 
1757,  and  died  Oct.  3,  1792.  His  son  Samuel,  born  Oct.  15, 
1734,  died  at  Lake  George,  Nov.  18,  1755.  Dea.  James 
Taylor  lived  on  what  is  now  the  Lowell  road,  about  one  mile 
from  the  centre  of  the  town.  Jonathan  Taylor  sold  land  on 
Brattle's  Farm,  in  1732,  to  John  French. 

DAVID  TAYLOR  lived  on  the  Wright  place,  and  died  Dec.  15, 
1809,  aged  eighty-eight  years. 

JOSIAH  BLODGETT  married  Jemima  Nutting,  of  Groton, 
April  13,  1737,  and  died  Feb.  9,  1792,  in  his  eighty-fourth  year. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  church  in  1757,  and  lived  in  the 
vicinity  of  Massapoag  Pond.  His  house  was  at  one  time  a 
garrison. 

JOHN  STEEL  was  for  some  time  clerk  of  the  parish.  He 
lived  on  an  eminence  in  the  southerly  part  of  the  town,  and 
died  Aug.  18,  1760,  aged  fifty-seven  years.  Inscribed  on  his 
head-stone  on  Meeting-House  Hill  are  the  words,  "  The 
Memory  of  The  Just  is  Blist."  ' 

ROBERT  SCOTT  lived  a  little  south  of  John  Steel. 

ADFORD  JAQUITH  was  an  active  citizen,  an  original  member 
of  the  church,  and  died  July  16,  1791,  in  the  eighty-seventh 
year  of  his  age.  He  sold  to  Nathaniel  Cummings,  Dec.  14,1734, 
twenty  acres  of  land  "a  littell  westward  from  ye  said  Jaquiths 
house  which  was  on  the  northern  side  of  Forest  Hill."  The 
deed  was  witnessed  by  John  Woodward  and  John  Cummings. 

TIMOTHY  BANCROFT  lived  on  the  river  road,  a  short  dis- 
tance south  of  the  State  line.  He  married  Elizabeth  Farwell, 


1/44-5]  FORTIFICATIONS.  79 

whose  brother,  Lieut.  Josiah  Farwell,  was  killed  in  the  fight  at 
Pequawket,  on  the  8th  of  May,  1725.  He  was  born  in  1709, 
and  died  Nov.  21,  1772. 

STEPHEN  ADAMS  was  a  member  of  the  church  in  1757. 

JONATHAN  ROBBINS  was  born  Nov.  4,  1718.  His  father, 
Lieut.  Jonathan  Robbins,  was  killed  in  the  Pequawket  fight. 
The  Robbins  family  lived  in  the  northwest  section  of  the  town. 

SAMUEL  HOWARD  was  born  in  1684,  and  died  Feb.  7,  1769. 
He  owned  a  large  tract  of  land  on  Howard's  Brook. 

SAMUEL  ROBY  lived  about  eighty  rods  north  of  John  French. 

ROBERT  BLOOD  married  Sarah  ,  of  Groton,  and  had 

inter  alios  Robert,  born  Dec.  26,  1733,  who  was  a  member  of 
the  church  and  lived  near  the  garrison  house,  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  east  of  Meeting-House  Hill. 

WILLIAM  BLANCHARD  was  the  son  of  Thomas  and  Ruth 
(Adams)  Blanchard,  and  was  born  in  1701.  He  married 
Deliverance  Parker,  of  Groton,  Feb.  28,  1733-4. 

As  the  town  had  no  meeting-house,  the  people  continued  to 
assemble  at  Ebenezer  Kendall's  tavern  for  the  transaction  of 
public  business.  At  a  meeting  held  there  May  2,  1744,  it  was 
voted  "  that  the  Select  Men  with  Mr.  Abraham  Taylor  and 
Mr.  Tim0  Bancrafte  be  a  committee  to  tak  Cair  to  hier  the 
Gospel  to  be  preached  among  us."  At  a  meeting  held  July 
23,  of  the  same  year,  it  was  voted  "  to  except  som  of  ye 
peopell  of  Groton  Living  in  ye  Northeaste  parte  of  it  Called 
Joynt  Grass  to  be  enexed  to  us."  John  Kendall,  Joseph  Eaton, 
and  John  Woodward  were  then  appointed  to  petition  the 
General  Court  "  for  fortifications  to  defend  us."  It  appears 
that  two  at  least  were  then,  or  at  a  previous  date,  erected,  one 
of  which  stood  a  little  to  the  eastward  of  the  present  home- 
stead of  Mr.  James  Bennett,  and  the  other  in  front  of  the 
house  of  Robert  Blood  and  near  the  present  residence  of  Mr. 
Dexter  Butterfield.  The  well  of  the  former  garrison  still 
remains.  It  does  not  appear  that  the  Indians  made  any 
demonstrations  against  the  town  subsequent  to  this  period. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1744-5,  tne  town  voted  "yl  ye  Swine 
shall  goat  Large  ye  year  insuing";  and  on  the  I4th  of  the 
same  month,  "  yl  Decon  Abraham  Taylors  Hous  shall  be  ye 
place  to  preach  in  for  the  Present." 


8o  HISTORY  OF  D UNSTABLE.  [  j  746 

Benjamin  Butterfield,  son  of  Joseph  Butterfield  who  settled 
on  the  east  bank  of  the  Merrimack  River  in  1711,  went  to 
Cape  Breton  under  Sir  William  Pepperell  in  1745,  and  after 
having  been  appointed  captain,  died  there  in  the  service. 

In  November,  1746,  the  town  "  voted  to  raise  8  pounds  law- 
ful money  to  pay  for  preach  the  current  year  "  ;  but  to  whom 
that  money  was  paid  for  proclaiming  the  glad  tidings  in 
"  Decon  Taylors  Hous  "  the  records  do  not  inform  us. 

At  this  period  the  "  vexed  question  "  of  erecting  a  meeting- 
house began  to  be  agitated,  and  it  continued  for  several  years 
to  disturb  the  peace  of  the  people.  The  territory  of  the  town 
was  long,  extending  from  Dracut  on  the  east,  some  ten  miles 
or  more,  to  Groton  on  the  west.  The  families,  amounting  in 
all  to  fifty-four,  were  pretty  evenly  settled,  if  we  except  the 
Tyng  estate,  over  the  whole  surface.  A  new  church  had  been 
erected  in  1738  on  the  New  Hampshire  side  of  the  line,  and 
was  partly  owned  by  the  people  on  this  side  of  it.  Some  of 
them  still  preferred  to  worship  there  ;  others  wished  to  buy 
the  New  Hampshire  meeting-house  and  remove  it,  —  some 
to  the  centre  of  the  territory,  some  to  the  centre  of  popula- 
tion ;  while  still  another  party  thought  it  best  to  build  out- 
right, and  to  choose  a  disinterested  committee  from  some  of 
the  neighboring  towns  to  determine  the  location.  It  is  very 
amusing  to  read  the  successive  resolutions  of  the  town  in 
respect  to  this  troublesome  question.  The  contest  continued 
almost  as  long  as  the  old  Trojan  war.  Meeting  after  meeting 
was  held,  plans  of  the  town  were  drawn  up,  appeals  were  made 
to  the  General  Court,  and  the  decision  of  to-day  was  reversed 
by  the  decision  of  to-morrow.  In  his  sermon  at  the  dedica- 
tion of  the  second  meeting-house  in  Pepperell,  the  Rev.  Joseph 
Emerson  said,  with  an  eye  to  this  state  of  things  in  Dun- 
stable,  "  It  hath  been  observed  that  some  of  the  hottest 
contentions  in  this  land  hath  been  about  settling  of  ministers 
and  building  meeting-houses,  and  what  is  the  reason  ?  The 
Devil  is  a  great  enemy  to  settling  ministers  and  building  meet- 
ing-houses ;  wherefore  he  sets  on  his  own  children  to  work  and 
make  difficulties,  and  to  the  utmost  of  his  power  stirs  up  the 
corruptions  of  the  children  of  God  in  some  way  to  oppose  or 
obstruct  so  good  a  work." 


1748]  PLAN  OF  DUNSTABLE.  8 1 

At  a  meeting  held  at  the  inn  of  Ebenezer  Kendall,  May 
22,  I747>  the  town  voted  to  raise  ^150  to  pay  for  the  meet- 
ing-house in  New  Hampshire  and  the  ground  on  which  to 
place  it. 

Some  families  in  Nottingham,  and  in  Joint  Grass,  petitioned 
the  General  Court,  about  this  time,  to  be  annexed  to  Dunsta- 
ble.  Their  petition  was  to  be  granted  on  condition  that  a 
meeting-house  should  be  erected  two  hundred  and  forty-eight 
rods,  fifty-two  degrees  west  of  north  from  the  northeast  cor- 
ner of  Mr.  John  Tyng's  land  ;  but  this  location  did  not  satisfy 
the  town.* 

In  July,  1747,  the  people,  in  a  public  meeting,  voted  to 
appropriate  £,2$  for  preaching  and  "  to  meet  on  ye  Sabbath  at 
ye  house  of  Mr.  John  Woodward  "  ;  and  on  the  26th  of  October 
following  they  voted  "  to  Sell  or  bye  ye  said  meeting  House 
and  land  purchased  to  sett  it  on." 

The  committee  appointed  to  designate  the  place  for  the 
building  was  opposed  to  a  proposition  to  erect  it  "  near  ye  end 
of  ye  half  milld  to  the  Easte  from  ye  senter  of  ye  inhabitants." 
The  town  voted,  Sept.  8,  1748,  "not  to  set  off  y<  parte  of  this 
town  that  was  formerly  Groton  to  Groton  again."  This  sec- 
tion of  the  town,  lying  between  Salmon  Brook  and  Nashua 
River,  and  containing  the  Swallow,  Fletcher,  Blood,  Read,  and 
other  families,  was  of  much  importance  at  this  time,  since  it 
determined  the  balance  of  power  on  the  question  of  fixing  the 
site  of  the  meeting-house  towards  the  west. 

It  was  also  voted  at  the  same  meeting  "  to  Rais  Money  to 
buld  a  Meting-house  on  ye  Place  yl  was  last  voted  for."  This 
vote  was,  however,  reconsidered  Oct.  20,  and  it  was  then 
decided  to  place  the  house  "  about  ten  rod  to  ye  south  of 
Nathaniel  Jewell's  house  on  a  Knowl."  This  place,  it  seems, 
had  been  recommended  by  a  committee  consisting  of  Col. 
Minot,  Major  Lawrence,  and  Mr.  Brewer,  who  had  been 
appointed  for  that  purpose.  ^ 

A  map  of  the  town,  made  by  Joseph  Blanchard,  and  bearing 
date  Oct.  17,  1748,  was  laid  before  the  General  Court,  in  order 

*  Massachusetts  Archives,  Vol.  CXV,  p.  510. 


82  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l?49 

to  show  the  centre  of  land,  and  also  of  population  to  that  body, 
and  the  fitting  place  for  the  location  of  the  church.  On  this 
plan  the  farms  of  Col.  Tyng  and  Mr.  John  Tyng  embrace  an 
area  six  miles  and  fifty-six  rods  in  length,  and  one  mile  wide. 
Mr.  Jeremiah  Colburn's  *  house  is  designated  as  in  the  north- 
east, and  Mr.  Robbins's  house  in  the  northwest  angle  of  the 
town.  By  the  northern  line  of  the  town  the  distance  from  the 
Nashua  to  the  Merrimack  River  is  four  miles,  two  hundred 
and  twenty-nine  rods,  and  from  the  latter  river  to.  the  line  of 
Dracut,  three  miles  and  seventy-two  rods.f 

For  the  purpose  of  building  the  meeting-house  the  town 
voted  to  raise  ;£ioo  lawful  money,  and  also,  Nov.  15,  "to 
buld  ye  said  house  46  feet  long,  36  feet  wide,  and  21  feet 
studes." 

On  the  27th  of  December,  1748,  the  town  voted  "to  Raise 
thirty  Pounds  old  Tenor  \  for  the  Suporte  of  a  school."  This 
is  the  first  mention  of  any  action  respecting  a  school  on  the 
records.  § 

It  was  probably  what  was  called  a  "a  moveing  school,"  that 
is,  a  school  taught  by  the  same  person  successively  in  various 
private  dwellings  of  the  town.  The  reading-books  then  used 
were  the  New  England  Primer,  with  its  rude,  cuts  of  Adam 
and  Eve,  Jonah  and  the  Whale,  and  rustic  rhymes,  such  as 

"  The  idle  fool 
Is  whipt  at  school," 

the  Psalter  and  the  New  Testament.  The  birchen  twig  was 
liberally  applied  to  the  offenders,  and  the  Assembly's  Cate- 
chism frequently  repeated.  It  was,  perhaps,  in  the  minds  of 
many  too  often  associated  with  the  tingling  of  the  aforesaid 
twig  to  be  of  much  spiritual  service. 

It  appears  that  in   1749  some  of  the  timber  had  been  pre- 

*  He  was  a  Presbyterian,  and  attended  church  at  Londonderry,  N.  H. 

t  The  chain  for  the  survey  was  carried  by  Messrs.  Henry  Adams  and  Timothy 
Colburn. 

J  One  ounce  of  silver  coin,  valued  at  6s.  8</.  was,  in  1749,  worth  6os.  in  bills  of 
credit.  Three  ounces  of  silver  at  6s.  8J.  per  ounce  was  equal  to  £i  lawful  money. 

§  In  1742  the  town  of  Groton  made  provision  for  a  school  at  Unquetynasset.  — 
Butler's  History  of  Groton,  p.  219. 


j  749]  BOUNTY  FOR    WOL  VES.  83 

pared  for  the  coming  church  ;  for  on  the  26th  of  May,  at  a 
town-meeting  held  at  the  house  of  Simon  Thompson,  it  was 
voted,  "yl  ye  meting-house  yl  is  to  be  bult  in  this  town  be 
erected  on  ye  easte  side  of  ye  Rhoad  y1  Leads  from  Mr. 
Simon  Thomsons  to  Capt.  Cumings  whare  som  of  ye  timber 
for  said  House  now  Lies,  which  place  is  about  40  Rods 
Northwardly  from  Isaac  Colburn." 

The  Court  declared,  June  26,  that  the  people  of  Nottingham 
and  Joint  Grass  had  forfeited  the  benefit  of  being  incorporated 
with  Dunstable,  and  that  "  the  meting-house  should  be  erected 
on  the  east  side  of  the  road  from  Capt.  Cummings  to  Simon 
Thompsons  house  where  the  timber  lies  for  it."  The  Joint 
Grass  families  at  this  time  were  those  of  John  Swallow,  Joseph 
Spaulding,  Jr.,  Timothy  Read,  Joseph  Fletcher,  Benjamin  Rob- 
bins,  John  Spaulding,  and  Samuel  Cummings.  In  July  follow- 
ing, the  Nottingham  and  Joint  Grass  people,  being  dissatisfied 
with  the  place  fixed  upon  for  the  church,  petitioned  the  Court 
that  they  might  be  annexed  to  Dunstable  ;  and  this,  probably, 
in  order  that  they  might  vote  on  the  question. 

Wolves  were  at  this  time  very  troublesome,  and  bears  occa- 
sionally made  their  way  into  town  ;  the  catamount  also  now 
and  then  annoyed  the  people.  It  is  related  that  one  evening, 
while  Deacon  Joseph  Fletcher,  who  purchased  a  tract  of  about 
six  hundred  acres  at  twelve  cents  per  acre  in  the  Joint  Grass 
district  about  the  year  1735,  was  absent  at  the  mill,  his 
wife  Elizabeth,  hearing  something  like  the  screaming  of  a 
child,  went  to  the  door,  and  saw  the  eyes  of  a  catamount 
glaring  at  her  from  a  tree.  She  fastened  the  door  upon  her 
visitor,  yet  fearing  he  might  gain  an  entrance  through  a  win- 
dow, she  crept  into  a  barrel,  and  in  that  uncomfortable  posi- 
tion spent  the  night.* 

The  town  voted,  in    1749,  to  pay  12s.  6d.  to  any  person 
from    Dunstable,    Groton,    Littleton,    Westford,    Lunenburg,  \\ 
Harvard,  or  Hollis,  on  condition  that  these  towns  should  do 
the  same,  "  that  shall  kill  any  Grone  Wolf  within  one  year 
within  the  bounds  of  any  of  these  Respective  towns  or  shall 

*  See  The  Fletcher  Genealogy,  p.  54. 


g4  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

tak  the  tracte  in  any  of  these  townes  &  folow  it  till  thay  kill 
it  where  they  will  if  ye  hed  be  produced  by  way  of  evidence 
&  ye  Ears  cut  off  as  the  Law  directs." 

March  5,  1749-50,  it  was  voted  "to  alow  a  town  way  from 
David  Taylors  to  Nathaniel  Parkers"  ;  and' in  July  following, 
£20  were  to  be  raised  for  "  ye  supporte  of  the  gospell." 

A  committee,  consisting  of  Eleazer  Tyng,  Esq.,  Josiah 
Blodgett,  Timothy  Bancroft,  John  Kendall,  Jr.,  and  John 
Woodward,  was  at  the  same  time  chosen  "  to  fix  a  place  for  a 
meeting-house."  The  town  could  not  agree  on  their  decision, 
and  at  a  meeting  held  Oct.  30,  it  was  voted  "  not  to  buld  a 
meting  house  for  ye  publick  worship  of  God."  It  was  then, 
at  a  meeting  held  at  Robert  Blood's  house,  Dec.  7,  "  voted 
not  to  Joyn  with  ye  peopell  in  New  Hampshire  in  settling  the 
gospell."  At  the  same  time  it  was  voted  "  to  Raise  money  to 
suporte  the  gospell  at  ye  ould  meting  house  this  winter 
season."  This  was  the  church  erected  on  the  New  Hamp- 
shire side  of  the  line  in  1738,  the  people  there  using  at  this 
time  the  church  subsequently  built  by  Jonathan  Lovewell 
and  his  associates.* 

At  a  meeting  held  March  18,  1751,  at  the  house  of  Robert 
Blood,  a  central  point  on  the  road  from  Joint  Grass  to  the 
Merrimack  River,  where  the  bridge  now  stands,  it  was 
voted  "  to  except  a  Curb  way  from  Mr.  Ebenezer  Proctors  to 
Groton  line.f  The  sum  of  £1$  was  appropriated  for  mend- 
ing highways  and  bridges,  and  a  man  was  to  have  one  shilling 
per  day  for  working  thereon.  At  another  meeting,  held  Dec. 
19  of  this  year,  it  was  voted  "  to  set  of  Mr.  James  Colburn 
with  ye  land  that  lies  between  Hollis  and  groton  from  groton 
Corner  to  Nashua  River  be  laid  to  groton."  It  was  also  voted 
"  not  to  send  to  the  Court  to  git  Nottingham  and  Joynte 
grass  anexed  to  us  as  formerly  they  was." 

On  the  2Oth  of  May,  1752,  it  was  voted  that  the  meeting- 
house be  erected  "  on  a  knowl  by  the  Road  that  leads  from 
David  taylors  J  to  Simon  Tomsons,  about  five  or  six  rods 

*  History  of  the  Old  Township  of  Dunstable,  by  Charles  J.  Fox,  p.  149. 
t  He  lived  on  the  place  now  occupied  by  Elbridge  G.  Chapman, 
t  He  lived  where  George  P.  Wright  now  lives. 


1753]  FAMILIES  FROM  GROTON.  85 

north  where  the  road  was  lying"  ;  and  at  the  next  meeting, 
July  6,  it  was  voted  that  "  Dea.  Stikny,  of  billerica,  Capt. 
Nickols  of  Redding  &  Deacon  Stone  of  groton  be  a  Com- 
mittee to  fix  a  place  for  a  meting  house." 

The  decision  of  this  committee  satisfied  the  majority  of 
the  town  in  respect  to  the  long-contested  point ;  for  on  the 
2d  of  September  it  voted  "  to  erect  a  meting  house  on  the 
East  corner  of  David  Taylors  land,"  as  the  said  committee 
had  determined.  At  the  next  meeting,  Oct.  26,  it  was  voted 
to  raise  ^53  6s.  8d,  to  pay  for  that  part  of  the  New  Hamp- 
shire church  which  the  committee,  consisting  of  Col.  Tyng, 
Samuel  Taylor,  and  Joseph  Pike,  had  purchased,  and  for  "taking 
down,  removing  &  rebuilding  sf  meting  house."  On  the  i8th 
of  December  following,  a  committee  was  chosen  to  petition 
the  General  Court  that  "  those  living  in  the  northeast  part  of 
Groton  at  a  place  called  Joynt  grass  be  ennexed  to  this  town 
of  Dunstable  as  they  formerly  were." 

It  appears  from  the  following  record  that  these  people  were 
willing,  if  the  meeting-house  were  built  upon  a  spot  that 
suited  them,  to  become  again  citizens  of  Dunstable  :  — 

"Groton,  May  10,  1753.  We  have  concluded  to  Joine  with  Dunstable 
in  settling  the  gospell  and  all  other  affairs  hart  &  hand  in  case  Dunstable 
woud  meet  us  in  erecting  a  meting  house  in  center  of  Lands  or  center  of 
Travel. 

"JOSEPH  SPAULDING,  JR. 
JOHN  SWALLOW. 
TIMOTHY  READ. 
SAMUEL  CUMINGS. 
JOSEPH  PARKHURST." 

This  proposition  was  accepted  June  7,  1753.  "The  Gen- 
eral Court  ordered  that  Joseph  Fletcher,  Joseph  Spalding. 
Samuel  Cumings,  Benjamin  Robins,  Timothy  Read,  John 
Swallow,  Joseph  Parkhurst,  &  Ebenezer  Parkhurst,  Jr.,  with 
their  families  &  Estates,  etc.,  be  annexed  to  the  town  of 
Dunstable,  agreable  to  the  vote  of  the  Town  of  Groton  on  the 
1 8th  day  of  May,  1747."  Thus  those  families  became  a  con- 
stituent part  of  the  town  of  Dunstable.  It  was  finally  agreed 
to  erect  a  meeting-house  forty-two  feet  long,  thirty-two  feet 
wide,  and  with  posts  twenty-one  feet  high  "  by  ye  Highway 


86 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


[1753 


Side  which  Leads  from  ye  house  of  Mr.  Temple  Kendall  to 
Mr.  Robert  Bloods  house." 

The  spot  selected  is  a  rocky  knoll  on  the  left-hand  side  of 
the  road,  leading  from  the  village  of  Dunstable  to  that  of 
Tyngsborough,  and  about  one  mile  distant  from  the  former 
place.  It  commands  a  fine  prospect  towards  the  west,  with 
the  rounded  summit  of  Wachuset  Mountain  in  the  distance. 
The  land  is  now  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  pine,  oak, 
and  maple  timber,  and  no  trace  whatever  of  the  old  church 
remains.  The  graveyard  on  the  western  slope  of  the  hill, 

"  Where  the  rude  forefathers  of  the  hamlet  sleep," 

alone  indicates  the  place  where  the  people  for  many  years 
assembled  for  the  transaction  of  civil  and  political  affairs,  as 
well  as  for  the  special  service  of  the  Lord. 

The  committee  appointed  to  build  the  meeting-house  con- 
sisted of  Ebenezer  Sherwin,  Ebenezer  Kendall,  and  Samuel 
Cummings,  and  they  reported  to  the  town  Dec.  24,  1753,  as 
follows :  "  We  have  built  said  house,  &  have  erected  it  on  ye 
north  side  of  the  road  that  leads  from  Ebenezer  Butterfields 
to  Robert  Bloods,  about  34  poles  from  said  center  and  have 
finished  it  all  saving  the  doors." 

The  raising  of  the  edifice  took  place  on  the  i8th  of  July, 
1753,  when  we  may  suppose  that  the  whole  plantation  was 
gathered  together  to  assist  in  laying  the  ponderous  sills,  in 
erecting,  with  long  spike  poles,  the  heavy  posts  of  oak,  and  in 
putting  the  rafters  into  place.  We  cannot  but  suppose  that, 
in  accordance  with  the  custom  of  those  days,  they  passed  the 
flowing  bowl  freely  from  lip  to  lip,  and  that  they  partook 
joyously  of  the  bountiful  dinner  which  our  good  great-grand- 
mothers on  such  festivals  provided.  But  a  lamentable  acci- 
dent occurred  before  the  "  raising  "  was  completed,  which  filled 
every  heart  with  anguish.  When  the  frame  was  nearly  up, 
two  men  fell  suddenly  from  a  spar,  and  one  of  them,  Mr. 
Abiel  Richardson  of  Groton,  striking  upon  a  rock,  immediately 
expired  ;  while  the  other  man,  more  fortunate,  escaped  with 
very  severe  bruises  and  contusions.  The  calamity  is  thus 
noticed  by  the  Boston  Weekly  News  Letter  of  July  26,  1753  :  — 


:755l 


INTRODUCTION  OF  THE  POTATO. 


"  We  hear  from  Dunstable  that  a  sorrowful  Accident  happened  there  as 
they  were  raising  the  Frame  for  a  New  Meeting  House  in  that  Town  Yes- 
terday was  sev'  night.  Two  Men  assisting  in  the  work  fell  from  a  spar 
and  one  of  them  [Abiel  Richardson  of  Groton]  had  his  Brains  dash'd 
out,  his  Head  in  the  Fall  striking  upon  a  Rock,  so  that  he  expir'd  imme- 
diately, the  other  was  much  bruis'd,  but  'tis  tho't  will  recover." 

The  Rev.  Joseph  Emerson  of  Pepperell  made  at  the  time 
this  note  of  the  accident  in  his  journal  :  — 

"July  19,  1753,  Abie1!  Richardson,  a  man  above  thirty  years  old,  assist- 
ing at  the  raising  of  Dunstable  meetinghouse,  fell,  and  died  in  a  moment." 

The  frame  was  soon  covered  and  a  floor  laid,  so  that  the 
house  could  be  used  for  public  worship,  but  the  seats  were 
introduced  gradually,  and  the  structure  was  not  completed  for 
several  years. 

A  town-meeting  was  held  in  the  church  March  27,  1754, 
and  as  it  had  now  become  a  central  point,  several  highways 
or  bridle-paths,  converging  towards  it,  were  permitted  to 
be  made.  It  was  voted  "  to  allow  a  town  road  from  ye  north 
side  of  Capt.  Cumings  old  orchard  to  the  meeting  house," 
also,  "  a  Curb  road  from  Adford  Jaquiths  to  the  meting 
house,"  also,  *'  a  town  road  from  Samuel  Taylors  to  the  road 
that  leads  from  Joint  Grass."  At  a  town-meeting  in  May  fol- 
lowing it  was  voted  "  to  build  ye  two  bodys  of  seats  and  to 
Provide  Boards  for  the  Pulpit." 

Jonathan  Tyng,  John  Alford  Tyng,  and  Willard  Hall,  Jr., 
petitioned  the  General  Court,  this  year,  that  three  hundred 
acres  of  land  in  Chelmsford  should  be  annexed  to  Dunstable, 
and  although  strenuously  opposed  by  that  town,  the  petition 
was  granted.* 

At  a  meeting  held  at  Oliver  Colburn's  house,  March  21, 
1755,  Benjamin  Farwell,  Timothy  Bancroft,  Joseph  Danforth, 
and  John  Steel  were  chosen  selectmen,  and  Ebenezer  Sherwin 
was  elected  "  Culler  of  Staves." 

The  income  from  the  sale  of  this  article,  as  well  as  from  that 
of  hoop-poles,  shingles,  peltry,  and  flax,  was  then  considerable. 
The  potato  had  just  been  introduced  and  was  beginning  to  take 

*  Allen's  History  of  Chelmsford^  p.  50. 


88  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l?55 

the  place  of  the  turnip  at  the  table  ;  fish  and  wild  fowl  were 
abundant.  The  people  spun  and  wove  their  own  flax  and 
wool  into  good,  serviceable  cloth,  which  they  colored  with 
vegetable  dyes  and  made  into  garments.  The  women  rode  to 
church  on  horseback,  seated  sometimes  behind  the  men.  The 
tavern,  the  mill,  and  the  blacksmith  shop  were  the  three  sev- 
eral points  where  the  men  assembled  for  the  discussion  of  the 
questions  of  the  day,  which  had  reference  generally  to  the 
building  of  the  roads,  the  condition  of  the  crops,  the  husking 
party,  the  last  matrimonial  engagement,  the  last  wild  animal 
killed  in  town,  or  the  singing  or  the  sermon  at  the  church. 


17SS] 


TIIE  FIRST  PARISH  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

THE  MEETING-HOUSE  OF  THE  FIRST  PARISH.  —  FORMATION  OF  THE  SECOND 
PARISH.  —  SLAVES  IN  DUNSTABLE.  —  ROBERT  BLOOD'S  SALE  OF  A  NEGRO. 
—  PAYMENT  OF  SEVERAL  MINISTERS.  —  ORGANIZATION  OF  A  CHURCH 
COVENANT,  AND  NAMES  OF  MEMBERS.  —  THE  SETTLEMENT  OF  THE  REV. 

JOSIAH  GOODHUE.  —  THE   HALF- WAY  COVENANT.  BOUNDS  BETWEEN 

DUNSTABLE  AND  GROTON.  —  NAMES  OF  THE  FIFTEEN  HIGHEST  TAX- 
PAYERS.—  LINE  BETWEEN  THE  FIRST  AND  SECOND  PARISHES. —  THE 

OLD  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR.  —  SEATING  THE  MEETING-HOUSE. — 
FRENCH  ACADIANS.  —  BOUNDARIF.S  OF  THE  SECOND  PARISH.  —  MEMBERS 
OF  THE  FIRST  PARISH.  —  A  REMARKABLE  THUNDER-STORM.  —  THE 
FIRST  STATE  CENSUS. — THE  POUND  AND  THE  STOCKS.  —  A  PROTEST  OF 
ROBERT  BLOOD  AND  OTHERS. 

"  I  know  no  other  landlord  than  the  Lord  of  all  the  land,  to  whom  I  owe 
the  most  sincere  gratitude."  DICKINSON. 

"  Oft  did  the  harvest  to  their  sickle  yield, 

Their  furrow  oft  the  stubborn  glebe  has  broke. 
How  jocund  did  they  drive  their  team  afield  ! 

How  bowed  the  woods  beneath  their  sturdy  stroke  ! " 

THOMAS  GRAY. 

As  the  location  of  the  church  on  Meeting-House  Hill  did 
not  well  accommodate  nor  please  the  inhabitants  in  the  east- 
erly part  of  the  town,  they  formed  themselves  into  a  precinct, 
called  the  First  Parish  of  Dunstable,  and  erected  a  small 
meeting-house,  with  two  porches  and  a  tall  steeple,*  near  the 
spot  where  the  Unitarian  Church  now  stands,  in  Tyngsborough 
Centre.f 

*  It  was  blown  down  in  the  great  gale  of  September,  1815. 

t  The  Hon.  John  Pitts  is  credited  with  the  authorship  of  these  lines  thereupon: — 

"  A  very  small  meeting-house, 

A  very  tall  steeple  ; 
A  very  proud  minister, 
A  queer  sort  of  people." 


go  H1STOR  Y  OF  D UNSTABLE.  [  I  7 5  5 

At  a  meeting  of  the  members  of  this  parish,  Aug.  20,  1755, 
it  was  voted  "that  the  place  for  a  meeting-house  in  this  pre- 
cinct be  on  the  west  of  Merrimack  River,  near  Mr.  James 
Gordons  Mills,  where  a  fraim  is  erected  for  that  purpose."  It 
was  also  voted  "  to  accept  the  fraim  that  is  Now  on  the  spot." 
It  is  also  recorded  "  that  John  &  Jonathan  Tyng  came  into  the 
Meeting  &  gave  the  Precinct  Glass  for  the  meeting-house." 
At  a  meeting  of  the  precinct,  held  in  1756,  Eleazer  Tyng, 
Simon  Thompson,  and  Oliver  Farwell  were  appointed  a  com- 
mittee "  to  sett  of  the  pew  ground  to  those  that  have  given  & 
Payd  most  toward  building  Said  house."  In  the  ensuing  year 
this  parish  raised  £,14  "  to  hire  preaching." 

The  people  of  the  westerly  part  of  the  town  were  also  organ- 
ized into  a  precinct  or  parish,  about  the  time  of  the  erection  of 
their  meeting-house,  as  the  following  record  shows  :  — 

"  In  answer  to  a  petition  presented  by  Ebenezer  Sherwin  &  Ebenezer 
Kendall  to  the  Council,  June  13,  1755,  it  was  ordered  that  such  of  ye  Inhab- 
itants of  ye  Town  of  Dunstable  and  their  Estates  situate  to  ye  Westward 
of  Simon  Thomson's  Dwelling  House  to  gether  with  their  Associates 
who  on  or  before  ye  thirteenth  day  of  September  next  shall  give  in  their 
Names  to  ye  Secretary  of  ye  Province  with  their  Desires  therefor  signified 
in  Writing  Be  &  they  are  Hereby  ordered  In  to  a  Precinct  and  vested  with 
all  ye  Powers  and  Priveleges  &  subjected  to  all  ye  Duties  that  other  Pre- 
cincts in  this  Province  are  by  Law  invested  with  and  subjected  to." 

This  Act  received  the  signature  of  Gov.  William  Shirley, 
June  14,  1755,  and  the  first  meeting  of  this  Second  Parish,  or 
precinct,  in  Dunstable,  as  it  was  for  a  long  time  called,  was 
held  at  "  ye  meeting-house  "  on  the  2/th  of  October  following, 
when  Ebenezer  Sherwin  was  chosen  moderator,  and  John 
Steel,  parish  clerk.  John  Cummings,  John  Steel,  and  Joseph 
Fletcher  were  chosen  as  "  committeemen  and  assessors  of  said 
parish."  Joseph  Danforth  was  chosen  treasurer,  and  Benjamin 
Pike,  collector.  These  officers  were  then  sworn  "  to  ye  faith- 
ful Discharge  of  their  Respective  Trusts,"  and  thus  the  Second 
or  West  Parish  of  Dunstable  was  fairly  organized,  and  started 
on  its  eventful  way. 

As  the  custom  was  in  those  days,  a  few  persons  were  held 
in  Dunstable  as  slaves,  and  the  following  curious  paper  relat- 
ing to  the  sale  of  one  of  them  is  still  preserved  :  — 


1755] 


COST  OF  THE  MEETING-HOUSE. 


DUNSTABLE,  September  ye  xoth,  1756. 

Received  of  Mr.  John  Abbott,  junior  of  Andover,  Fourteen  pounds 
Thirteen  shillings  and  Two  pence.  It  being  the  full  value  of  a  Negrow 
Garl,  Named  Dinah,  about  five  years  of  Age  of  a  Healthy  Sound  Constitu- 
tion, free  of  any  disease  of  Body  and  I  Do  hereby  Deliver  the  Same  Garl 
to  the  said  Abbott  and  Promise  to  Defend  him  in  the  Improvement  of 
hear,  as  his  Servan  forever.  Witness  my  hand, 

ROBERT  BLOOD. 
JOHN  KENDALL. 
TEMPLE  KENDALL, 

The  paper  has  this  indorsement  :  — 

"Oct.  28,  New  Stile,  1756.  This  day  the  Within  Named  Girl  was 
Five  years  old." 

Robert  Blood  lived  on  the  place  now  occupied  by  Dexter 
Butterfield,  and  many  stories  are  told  of  his  peculiarities.  He 
is  said  to  have  called  an  Indian  doctor  to  prescribe  for  him  in 
a  case  of  sickness  ;  but  fearing  lest  the  medicine  might  con- 
tain poison,  he  administered  it  to  his  negro  boy,  who  died 
from  its  effects.  The  place  of  his  burial  is  called  to  this 
day  "  Negro  Hill."  A  sheriff  once  came  into  church  to  arrest 
Mr.  Blood,  who,  seeing  his  pursuer,  raised  his  handkerchief  to 
his  nose  as  if  it  were  bleeding,  and  quietly  left  the  meeting. 
On  being  asked  afterwards  why  he  left  the  church  so  sud- 
denly, he  said,  "  The  sons  of  God  came  to  present  themselves 
before  the  Lord,  and  Satan  came  also  among  them."  (Job  i,  6.) 
His  wife  was  a  noted  swimmer,  and  frequently  swam  across 
the  Merrimack  River.  She  was,  however,  drowned  at  last,  as 
it  is  said,  among  the  lily-pads  of  Massapoag  Pond. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Second  Parish,  held  Nov.  20,  1755,  it 
was  voted  that  ^20  be  assessed  "  for  ye  Suport  of  ye  Gospel 
for  ye  present  year";  also  that  a  committee,  consisting  of 
Ensign  Ebenezer  Parkhurst,  John  Steel,  and  Joseph  Fletcher, 
"  search  into  ye  accounts  of  how  much  Preaching  we  have  Had 
in  said  meeting  house  "  ;  and  John  Steel,  Samuel  Taylor,  and 
Adforth  Jaquith  were  appointed  a  committee  to  take  a  deed  of 
Lieut.  John  Kendall  and  Ebenezer  Butterfield  "  of  ye  land  ye 
meeting  house  stands  on." 

At  a  meeting  of  the  parish,  Dec.  10,  it  was  found  that  the 
account  for  constructing  the  church  edifice  was  £74.  4-r.  I  id., 


92  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l757 

and  the  committee  reported  that  "  the  preaching  we  have  had 
in  Said  Meeting  house  and  yn  Intertaining  ye  Ministers" 
amounts  to  £44  is.  Who  these  ministers  were  appears  from 
various  orders  of  the  parish.  At  a  meeting,  held  March  6, 
1756,  the  sum  of  £4  was  "ordered  out  to  Mr.  Josiah  Good- 
hue  for  preaching  four  sabbaths " ;  and  also  to  Ebenezer 
Kendall  four  shillings  "for  Intertaining  Mr.  Josiah  Goodhue 
one  week."  So,  again,  March  25,  the  parish  "  ordered  out  to 
Ebenezer  Kendall  £$  os.  %d.  2qrs.  for  money  he  has  paid  to 
Mr.  perry  for  preaching  "  ;  also  to  Ebenezer  Sherwin,  £,2  4s. 
qd.  which  "he  has  paid  to  Mr.  Joseph  perry  for  preaching"  ; 
also  to  Abraham  Kendall  £4  $s.  4^.  "  which  he  has  paid  to 
Mr.  Cotton*  for  preaching";  also  "to  Mr.  Timothy  Minot 
[H.  C.  1747],  ye  sum  of  Six  Pounds  for  his  Preaching  six  days 
with  us  in  our  Meeting  house"  ;  also  "  to  Mr.  Holyoak  f  £9 
12s.  for  Preaching  9  days." 

Of  these  several  candidates,  who  received  for  their  Sabbath 
services  about  £i,  together  with  their  "  Intertainment,"  Mr. 
Josiah  Goodhue  (H.  C.  1755)  was  the  favored  one  ;  and  so  at 
a  meeting  of  the  parish,  Sept  23,  1756,  it  was  voted  to  give 
him  "a  call  to  ye  Work  of  ye  Ministry  with  us  in  This  Second 
Precinct  of  ye  Town  of  Dunstable." 

Mr.  Goodhue  presented  his  acceptance  of  the  invitation 
at  the  meeting  held  March  15,  1757,  under  the  following 
conditions :  — 

1.  That  you  give  me  .£120  for  settlement  to  be  paid  in  ye  manner  you 
voted  the  settlement. 

2.  Fifty  pounds  as  salary  yearly,  as  long  as  I  stand  in  ye  Relation  of 
a  pastor  to  this  People. 

3.  Twenty-five  cords  of  wood  yearly  Brought  cord  wood  Length  to 
my  Door. 

4.  That  if   Providence  should  order  it  that  you  should  consist  of 
Eighty  Rateable  Families,  then  ye  salary  to  be  Sixty  Pounds. 

JOSIAH  GOODHUE. 

March  y*  15,  1757. 

*  This  was  the  Rev.  Josiah  Cotton  (H.  C.  1722),  who  was  called  to  settle  over 
the  First  Church  in  Dunstable,  N.  H.,  Nov.  27,  1758,  and  the  day  of  his  ordination 
appointed ;  but  a  quarrel  ensuing  in  the  parish,  he  fortunately  did  not  become  its 
minister. 

t  The  Rev.  Elizur  Holyoke  (H.  C.  1750). 


1757]  CHURCH  COVENANT.  93 

The  parish  voted  to  comply  with  these  conditions.  On  the 
twelfth  day  of  May,  1757,  a  church  was  organized,  consisting 
of  thirty-eight  members,  nineteen  of  whom  were  males  and 
nineteen  females. 

The  covenant,  virtually  the  same  as  that  of  the  First  Church 
at  Plymouth,  was  probably  drawn  up  by  the  Rev.  Daniel 
Emerson,  of  Hollis,  N.  H.,  and  was  formally  accepted  in  his 
presence. 

A  CHH  COVENANT,   DUNSTABLE,  MAY  Ye  12'h,  1757. 

Then  ye  underwritten  Brethren  solemly  Covenanted  before  God,  &  one 
with  another  by  owning  this  Covenant  before  me,  &  accordingly  were 
declared  a  Chh  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  regularly  incorporated  pr  Me 
Daniel  Emerson. 

We  whose  Names  are  underwritten  do  covenant  with  the  Lord,  &  one 
with  another  &  do  Solemnly  bind  ourselves  before  the  Lord  &  his  People 
that  we  will,  by  the  Strength  of  Christ,  walk  after  the  Lord  In  all  his 
ways,  as  He  hath  revealed  them  to  us  in  his  Word. 

1.  We  avouch  the  Lord  Jehovah  to  be  our  God  &  give  up  ourselves  with 
our  Children  after  us,  in  their  several  Generations,  to  be  his  People,  & 
that  in  the  Sincerity  &  Truth  of  our  Hearts. 

2.  We  give  up  ourselves  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  be  ruled  & 
guided  by  Him  in  the  matter  of  His  Worship  &  in  our  whole  Conversa- 
tion acknowledging  him  not  only  our  alone  Saviour,  but  also  our  King, 
to  rule  over  us,  as  well  as  our  Prophet,  to  teach  us  by  His  Word  and 
Spirit :  accordingly  we  wholly  disclaim  our  own  Righteousness  in  Point 
of  Justification,  cleaving  to  Him  for  Righteousness,  Life,  Grace,  &  Glory. 

3.  We  promise  by  the  Help  of  Christ  to  walk  with  our  Brethren  & 
Sisters  of  the  Chh  in  the  Spirit  of  Love,  watching  over  them  &  caring 
for  them,  avoiding  all  Jealousies,  Suspissions,  Backbitings,  Censurings, 
Quarrellings,  &  Secret  Risings  of  Heart  against  them  forgiving  &  for- 
bearing, yet  seasonably  admonishing  &  restoring  them  with  a  Spirit  of 
Meekness,  who  through  Infirmities  have  been  overtaken  in  a  Fault. 

4.  We  will  not  be  forward  in  chh  Meetings  to  show  our  Gifts  &  Parts 
in  Speaking,  nor  endeavour  to  disgrace  our  Brethren  by  discovering  their 
Failings,  but  attend  an  orderly  Call  before  we  Speak,  doing  nothing  to 
the  offence  of  the  chh  ;  but  in  all  things  endeavouring  our  own  &  our 
Brethrens  Edification. 

5.  We  further  promise  to  Study  how  we  may  advance  the  Gospel  & 
Kingdom  of  Christ  so  as  that  we  may  gain  them  who  are  without,  Setle 
Peace  among  ourselves  *&  Seek  the  Peace  of  all  the  chhs  not  puting  a 
Stumbling  Block  before  any  but  Shunning  the  Appearance  of  Evil. 

6.  We  promise  to  demean  ourselves  obediently  in  all  lawful  things 
towards  those  God  has  or  shall  place  over  us  in  Chh  or  Common  Wealth. 


94  "IS TOR  Y  Of  D UNS TABLE.  ['757 

7.  We  resolve  in  the  same  Strength  to  approve  ourselves  in  our  par- 
ticular Callings,  shunning  Idleness  nor  will  we  oppress  any  we  deal  with. 

8.  We  also  promise  as  God  shall  inable  us  to  teach  our  Children  & 
Servants   the   good    Knowledge   of  the    Lord   &   to   fullfill    all   relative 
Duties  prescribed  in  Gods  Word  that  all  ours  may  learn  to  fear  &  Serve 
the  Lord  ourselves,  to  this  End  we  promise  to  keep  up  ye  Worship  of  God 
in  our  Families  that  our  Houses  shall  be  Bethels  wherein  y«  morning  & 
Evening  Sacrifice  shall  assend. 

9.  We  do  profess  ourselves  to  be  Congregational  in  our  Judgments 
&  do  hereby  promise  mutually  one  unto  another  that  we   will  practice 
on  Congregational  Principles  which  according  to  our  understandings  are 
most  agreable  to  the  Directions  of  Gods  Word  ;   &  will  take  the  Plat- 
form of  Discipline  to  be  our  Rule  to  go  by  in  all  matters  of  chh  Discipline 
among  us  which  we  look  on  as  gathered  out  of  the  Word  of  God  & 
agreeing  therewithall. 

JOSIAH  GOODHUE,  Pastor.  HANNAH  KENDALL. 

JOSEPH  PIKE.  OLIVE  TAYLOR. 

JOHN  KENDALL.  SARAH  CUMMINGS. 

EBENKZER  SHERWIN.  ELIZABETH  ROBBINS. 

EBENEZER  BUTTERFIELD.  ELIZABETH  GOODHUE. 

SAMUEL  TAYLOR.  JOSEPH  FLETCHER. 

JOSIAH  BLODGETT.  ABRAHAM  KENDALL. 

EBENEZER  KENDALL.  JOHN  CUMMINGS. 

ADFORD  JAQUITH.  ROBERT  BLOOD. 

TIMOTHY  READ.  SARAH  SWALLOW. 

STEPHEN  ADAMS.  ELIZABETH  FLETCHER. 

JOSEPH  TAYLOR.  RUTH  KENDALL. 

SAMUEL  CUMMINGS.  ELIZABETH  CUMMINGS. 

BENJAMIN  ROBBINS.  SARAH  BLOOD. 

JOHN  SWALLOW.  SARAH  PARKHURST. 

SUSANNAH  KENDALL.  MARY  CUMMINGS. 

ALICE  BUTTERFIKLD.  HANNAH  TAYLOR. 

SUSANNAH  TAYLOR.  SUSANNAH  HAYWOOD. 

JEMIMA  BLODGETT.  ABIGAIL  BLOOD. 

The  8th  of  June  was  fixed  upon  for  the  ordination  of  Mr. 
Goodhue,  and  it  may  well  be  supposed  that  the  people  of  the 
West  Parish  were  now  full  of  life  and  excitement  in  making 
preparations  for  the  great  occasion.  New  dresses  had  to  be 
purchased  and  made,  or  the  old  ones  repaired  and  put  into 
decent  order ;  houses  had  to  be  cleansed,  larders  replenished, 
supplies  of  rum  obtained,  —  for  in  those  days  nothing,  from  a 
marriage  to  a  funeral,  could  be  done  without  it,  —  the  tunes  in 
the  Bay  Psalm  Book  had  to  be  rehearsed,  and  the  church  to 


1757]  HALF-WAY  COVENANT.  95 

be  put  in  trim  for  the  solemn  and  yet  gladsome  services.  At 
a  Parish  meeting  the  day  after  the  formation  of  the  church,  it 
was  agreed  "  that  ye  gallary  floors  should  be  Laid  Down,  and 
ye  Breast  Work  put  up,  ye  Pillars  and  one  pair  of  Stars  &  two 
Doors  and  also  ye  Body  of  Seats  be  Built."  It  was  also  voted 
at  the  same  time  to  secure  land  for  "  a  Burrying  Place  &  to 
take  a  Deed  of  ye  same."  This  sacred  spot,  on  the  westerly 
slope  of  Meeting-House  Hill,  contains  head-stones  bearing  the 
names  of  several  of  the  original  founders  of  the  church,  and 
though  now  covered  with  poplar,  birch,  sumac,  pine,  and  wal- 
nut trees,  growing  rankly  over  blueberry-bushes,  sweet-fern, 
and  golden-rod,  still  has  associations  and  sermons  for  the 
reflective  mind,  such  as  the  voice  of  the  living  preacher  cannot 
bring. 

Mr.  Goodhue,  then  not  two  years  from  Harvard  College, 
was  ordained  as  pastor  over  the  church  on  the  eighth  day  of 
June,  1757.  In  the  records  of  the  church,  which  were  well 
kept  by  him  during  his  ministry,  he  says,  "June  ye  8th  1757, 
I  was  Solemly  Seperated  to  ye  Work  of  ye  Gospel  Ministry 
and  ordained  to  ye  Pastoral  Office  Over  ye  Chh  of  Christ  in 
ye  2d  Parish  of  Dunstable.  The  Revd  Joseph  Emerson  of  Pep- 
perill  began  ye  Solemn  Exercises  of  yl  Day  with  Prayer ; 
The  Revd  Daniel  Emerson  Preached  ye  Sermon  from  Luke 
29th  6oth  Phinehas  Hemenway  of  Townshend  gave  ye  Charge: 
And  the  Revd  Daniel  Willkins  of  Souhegion  gave  The  right 
Hand  of  Fellowship." 

The  first  baptism  of  an  infant  performed  by  Mr.  Goodhue 
was  that  of  "Jonathan  ye  son  of  John  &  Sarah  swallow"  ;  the 
first  marriage,  that  of  "  Oliver  Farnsworth  of  Townshend  & 
Jemima  Haywood  of  Dunstable,"  which  occurred  Nov.  2, 
I7S7-  The  Half- Way  Covenant  was  then  in  vogue,  admitting 
persons  acknowledging  the  "  Confession  of  Faith "  as  their 
belief  to  some  of  the  privileges  of  the  church,  and  hence  the 
record  of  an  admission  to  the  church  is  made  in  accordance 
with  the  views  of  the  member  received  in  respect  to  this  point. 
Thus  the  first  persons  who  united  with  the  church  after  its  for- 
mation were  Thomas  Adams  and  Ruth,  his  wife,  who  were 
"admitted  into  full  communion,  July  3d  1757,"  while  Robert 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


[>757 


Blood,  Jr.,  and  Abigail  his  wife  "  were  admitted  to  ye  Privi- 
liclge  of  owning  ye  Covenant,  Octr.  ye  9th  1/57."  Much  the 
larger  number  entered  the  church  as  "full  communionists." 
At  the  second  meeting  of  the  church,  July  ir,  1757,  it  was 
voted  that  "£40  5-r.  &  4^.  Old  Tenor,"  should  be  used  "  in 
procuring  furniture  for  ye  Table  of  ye  Lord  in  this  Place  (viz.) 
a  Table  Cloth,  a  Napkin,  two  Flaggons,  two  Tankerds,  six 
cups,  three  platters  &  likewise  a  Bayson  for  ye  use  of  ye  chh." 

At  the  next  meeting,  Aug.  3,  Ebenezer  Sherwin  was  chosen 
a  deacon,  and  the  first  communion  was  held  on  the  first  Sab- 
bath in  this  month.  On  the  3  1st  of  March  ensuing,  Samuel 
Taylor  was  chosen  as  the  second  deacon. 

The  bounds  between  Dunstable  and  Groton  were  examined 
and  reviewed  in  April,  1756,  and  the  line  then  commencing  at 
Tyng's  Corner  passed  on  the  easterly  side  of  the  old  saw-mill, 
which  stood  where  Cowpen  Brook  enters  Massapoag  Pond,  "on 
the  southerly  side  of  the  road  that  goes  by  Ebenezer  Proctors 
in  Dunstable,  and  terminated  at  a  heap  of  stones  on  Flat 
Rock  Hill."  Feb.  15,  1757,  a  highway  was  laid  out  from  the 
Province  line  by  Joseph  Danforth's  barn,  and  thence  onward 
to  David  Taylor's  house. 

It  appears  that  each  member  of  the  parish  built  his  own  pew 
in  the  meeting-house,  on  a  spot  selected  by  himself,  and  that 
those  who  paid  the  heaviest  taxes  were  entitled  to  *the  first 
choice.  The  names  of  the  most  fortunate  were  thus  quaintly 
recorded  by  John  Steel,  the  parish  clerk  :  — 

DUNSTABLE,  October  y«  2ist,  1757. 

An  acount  of  y*  Names  of  y*  Fifteen  Higest  Payers  which  was  to 
Draw  y*  Pew  Ground  as  They  were  voted  By  y*  Second  Parish  in  Dun- 
stable  first  of  all  :  — 

Joseph  Fletcher  y°  ist  .....  No    8 

Ebenr  Parkhurst  y*  2d          .....  No    9 

Samuel  Taylor  y'  3d      ......  No  13 

Capt  John  Cumings  y"  4th     .....  No    2 

John  Steel  ye  5th  ......  No  15 

Abraham  Kendall  ye  6th        .....  No    7 

Ebenr  Proctor  y*  7th  •  .....  No    4 

Lt  John  Kendall  y'  8th          .....  No     I 

Ens.  John  Swallow  y*  gth      .....  No    3 


1758]  SURVEY  OF  THE  SECOND  PARISH.  97 

Joseph  Spaulding  y°  i oth  .     -  .         .         .         .  No  14 

Timothy  Read  ye  nth  ;.         ,         .         .         .  No  10 

Ebenr  Butterfield  ye  I2th  .         ....         .  No  12 

David  Taylor  ye  I3th    .  ..       .      "...       .  No    5 

Josiah  Blodgett  ye  I4th No    6 

Joseph  Taylor  y"  i  sth -Non 

JOHN  STEEL.  i 

EBENR  SHERWIN.    \  Comtee 

These  Numbers  annexed  to  their  names  is  ye  Number  of  each  Pew 
Ground  as  ye  Comtee  laid  them  out,  and  each  man  has  chosen  that  Num- 
ber annexed  after  his  name. 

It  was  voted,  on  the  7th  day  of  December  following,  "  to  lay 
out  all  ye  money  ^210  12s,  that  comes  by  The  Pew  Ground 
in  glass  for  ye  windows  of  said  house  &  to  putting  them  up  & 
in  providing  Boards  for  ye  Pulpet." 

At  a  meeting,  March  7,  1758,  the  parish  voted  for  the 
church  "  26  windows  &  23  of  sd  windows  Be  24  squares  of 
glass  in  Each  window  that  the  2  gavel  End  windows  Be  15 
squairs  Each  &  the  pulpit  window  is  Left  to  the  Descretion  of 
the  parish  committe."  This  consisted  of  Ensign  John  Swallow,* 
Joseph  Fletcher,  and  Abraham  Kendall.  Thus  by  degrees  the 
old  church  on  Meeting-House  Hill  was  brought  towards  its 
completion. 

As  the  territory  of  the  Second  Parish  was  indistinctly  defined, 
a  committee,  consisting  of  Deacon  Ebenezer  Sherwin,  Timothy 
Read,  and  Joseph  Fletcher,  was  chosen  in  April  of  the  ensuing 
year, 

"  To  petition  the  Great  &  General  Cort  of  this  Province  that  They  will 
Be  pleased  to  appoint  a  Sevayor  to  Run  a  North  &  South  Line  By  the 
Westerdly  End  of  Mr  Simon  Thomsons  Dwelling  House  a  greable  to 
the  order  of  sd  Honorable  Cort  By  which  this  2d  parish  was  Errected  to 

*  He  was  the  first  settler  of  the  name  in.  Dunstable,  and  built  the  house 
where  his  descendant,  Alpheus  Swallows,  Esq.,  now  resides.  He  is  buried  in  the 
little  cemetery  near  by,  and  the  inscription  on  his  headstone,  ornamented  with  the 
rude  image  of  an  angel's  head,  is  — 

"  MEMENTO  MORI. 

Here  lies  the  body  of  Ensign  John  Swallow  who  departed  this  life  Feb.  5  1776 
aged  66  years  &  5  months  &  21  days." 
7 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


['759 


be  the  East  Line  of  sd  parish  &  that  sd  parish  may  Bound  Southardly 
upon  the  farm  Belonging  to  Mr  John  Tyng  that  Lyeth  in  the  Southardly 
part  of  sd  Dunstable  &  also  Westerdly  upon  Groton  &  Northardly  upon 
the  Province  Line  &  that  all  the  Lands  in  sd  Bounds  Be  the  2d  parish 

in  Dunstable. 

".JOHN  SWALLOW, 

"Parish  Clerk." 

March  5,  1759,  the  town  voted  that  £\6  should  be  assessed 
for  "  ye  suport  of  a  school,  or  schools,"  and  that  it  should  be 
"  a  Writting  school  as  well  as  a  Reading  school,"  also,  that  "  it 
should  be  a  moveing  school." 

The  town  was  well  represented  in  the  old  French  War,  which 
commenced  in  1755,  and  was  closed  by  the  Treaty  of  Paris  in 
1763. 

Ensign  John  Cheney  and  William  Blodgett  were  at  the  sur- 
render of  Louisburg  to  the  English,  July  26,  1758.  Their 
powder-horns  are  still  preserved.  That  of  Ensign  John 
Cheney  is  elaborately  ornamented  with  birds,  fishes,  deer,  and 
the  letters  "  F.  C.  W."  ;  it  has  also  the  incription,  "  JOHN 
CHENEY  his  Horn,  Cape  Breton.  Taken  May  26,  1758."  This 
horn  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Thomas  F.  Cheney,  depot- 
master  in  Dunstable.  The  horn  of  William  Blodgett  is  now 
owned  by  Mr.  George  T.  Blodgett,  and  bears  this  inscription  : 
"  WILLIAM  BLODGET  his  horn,  June  ye  7  1760."  It  is  covered 
with  pictures  of  various  animals,  displaying  the  genius  of  the 
original  owner. 

Col.  Ebenezer  Bancroft,  born  April  i,  1738,  and  died  Sept. 
22,  1827,  was  an  ensign  in  Capt.  John  Goffe's  company  in  Col. 
•/  Joseph  Blanchard's  regiment,  and  served  through  the  war. 
Others  in  the  service  were  Simeon  Blood,  James  French, 
Ebenezer  French,  John  Harwoocl,  John  Gilson,  Joshua  Wright, 
Ephraim  Butterfield,  Benjamin  Butterfield,  Jonathan  Wood- 
ward, the  miller  of  Massapoag,  who  was  at  the  siege  of  Mon- 
treal under  G&n.  Wolfe  ;  Thomas  Woodward,  who  was  killed  in 
Canada  by  the  Indians  ;  John  Woodward,  who  was  also  killed 
during  the  war  ;  and  Samuel  Taylor,  who  died  at  Lake  George, 
Nov.  14,  1755. 

Dec.  n,  1759,  a  highway  was  laid  out  from  John  Steel's 
house  to  that  of  Deacon  Ebenezer  Sherwin,  "  two  rods  wide." 


1760]  THE  AC  AD  I  A  NS.  99 

• 

It  was  the  custom  in  those  days  for  the  men  to  occupy  the 
seats  on  one  side  of  the  church,  and  the  women  those  on  the 
other.  The  elders  sat  upon  an  elevated  seat  in  front  of  the 
pulpit,  and  the  children  and  servants  occupied  the  galleries. 
A  tythingman,  with  a  long  pole,  kept  them  all  in  order.  A 
glimpse  of  the  arrangement  of  the  seats  may  be  had  from 

a  record  of  a  public  sale  made  November,  1759. 

• 

"  Sold  to  ye  Highest  Bidder  the  Two  Hind  Seats  in  the  Body  of  Seats 
in  ye  2d  parish  Meting  House  the  one  half  of  ye  Wimmings  too  hind 
Seats  Next  To  ye  middle  alle  to  Mr  Ebenr  Kendall  for  ^3  5^.  ^d.  law, 
the  Next  on  the  mens  Side  Next  to  ye  middle  alle  to  sd  Ebenr  Kendall 
for  £2  I'js.  ^d.  &  then  ye  other  Half  of  ye  wimmings  too  Hind  Seats 
Next  to  the  stairs  To  M  Benja.  Pike  for  £2  i s.  ^d.  &  then  the  other  Half 
of  the  mens  too  Hind  Seats  Next  to  ye  place  where  the  mens  Stairs  are 
to  B  Built  To  Mr  Abraham  Kendall  for  £2  o  o. 

"  SAMUEL  COMINGS, 

"  Vandue  Master." 

The  parish  voted,  March  10,  1760,  "and  chose  Edward  Ken- 
dall to  sweep  the  Meting  House  and  take  Cair  of  the  dishing 
&  six  Shillings  Be  his  wages  for  the  same."  The  selectmen 
this  year  were  Eleazer  Tyng,  Major  John  A.  Tyng,  and  Joseph 
Danforth,  all  of  whom  resided  in  that  part  of  the  town  which 
is  now  Tyngsborough.  Temple  Kendall  was  the  "  Sealer  of 
Lether,"  and  £\$  were  appropriated  for  the  "  suporte  of 
schools."  John  Steel,  the  faithful  clerk  of  the  West  Parish, 
died  this  year  <tn  the  i8th  of  August,  and  was  buried  on  Meet- 
ing-House  Hill. 

He  was  highly  respected,  and  by  his  death  the  town  was 
called  to  experience  a  heavy  loss  William  H.  Prentice  was 
chosen  town  clerk  in  1760,  and  the  records  under  his  hand  are 
made  in  a  better  style. 

In  August  of  this  year  a  part  of  a  family  of  the  Acadians,  or 
French  Neutrals,  whose  melancholy  fate  is  so  touchingly  told 
in  the  "  Evangeline  "  of  H.  W.  Longfellow,  was  brought  to 
this  town  for  support.  The  family  was  large,  and  thus  divided  : 
Dunstable  took  Peter  Landeree  and  Sarah  his  wife,  also 
Peter  Landeree,  Jr. ;  Dracut,  Mary  Landeree  and  Elizabeth 
Landeree  ;  while  Tewksbury  took  Mary  Magdalene  and  Jane 


IO0  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTAI3LE.  [l?6l 

Lancleree.  It  would  be  interesting  to  know  the  fate  of  this 
divided  househould,  but  on  this  point  the  records  are  silent. 
Some  of  the  Landerees  were  also  supported  by  the  town  of 
Billerica,  where  one  of  them  at  least  remained  till  about  the 
time  of  the  Revolution. 

The  lines  established  between  the  neighboring  towns  or 
parishes  were  guarded  with  jealous  care,  and  frequently  sur- 
veyed. On  the  i6th  of  September,  1761,  the  line  between 
Dunstable  and  Groton,  so  recently  fixed  by  the  General  Court, 
was  "  perambulated,"  and  it  then  passed  from  a  pillar  of  stones 
on  Flat  Rock  Hill,  southerly  "  near  Mr.  Robin's  field,"  thence 
west  of  Joseph  Fletcher's  house,  thence  "  to  Old  Angle 
Meadow,"  and  so  on  to  the  mouth  of  Cowpen  Brook,  where  it 
enters  Massapoag  Pond..  This  left  the  large  tract  of  land 
called  Unketynassett  still  in  Groton. 

A  committee  chosen  to  petition  the  General  Court  that  the 
parish  be  made  a  district,  presented  the  following  report,  which 
was  accepted  Jan.  24,  1761,  by  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives :  — 

"  Having  herd  ye  parties  &  Considered  thereon  (they)  are  of  oppinnion 
that  to  prevent  all  Controversies  the  Bounds  of  Sd  presink  ought  to  be  as 
follows,  viz.,  easterly  on  a  north  &  south  Line  By  the  meridian  running 
from  ye  province  Line  By  ye  West  End  of  Simon  Tomsons  House  to 
Capt  John  Tyngs  Land  &  Bounded  Southerly  By  Sd  Tyngs  Land  westerly 
on  Groton  Line  &  Northerly  on  ye  Province  Line,  Saving  that  ye  Land 
within  Sd  Bounds  Belonging  To  Eleazer  Tyngs  and  Sd  John  Tyngs  shall 
Continue  To  remain  to  the  first  Parish  in  Dunstable;  and  saving  also.that 
The  Land  Belonging  to  ye  Inhabitants  of  sd  first  parish  Lying  adjoining 
on  ye  west  side  of  sd  North  and  South  Line  Shall  Remain  to  sd  first 
parish  &  that  ye  Lands  adjoyning  on  ye  Est  Side  of  sd  Line  which  Belongs 
to  ye  Inhabitants  of  sd  2d  parish  Shall  Be  &  Remain  to  ye  sd  2d  parish  & 
that  a  Sevayor  Be  appointed  By  this  Cort  to  run  sd  Line  &  Erect  Bounds 
&  monuments  therein  &  make  Report  thereof." 

Benjamin  Lincoln,  Esq.,  was  appointed  to  make  the  survey, 
and  the  charge  therefor  was  to  be  borne  equally  between  the 
First  and  Second  Parish. 

It  is  interesting  to  observe  that  the  acceptance  of  this 
report  is  signed  by  the  great  James  Otis  as  Speaker  of  the 
House  of  Representatives. 


1762]  MEMBERS  OF  THE  FIRST  PARISH.  IOI 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Second  Parish,  Feb.  12,  1761,  Joseph 
Danforth  was  chosen  committee-man  and  an  assessor  "  In  ye 
room  &  sted  of  Mr  John  Steel  Late  of  Dunstable  Deceased," 
and  on  the  2Qth  of  June  ensuing  the  parish  "  Then  votted  & 
grantted  to  Be  assessed  1—13-0  for  Col  Linkon  Running  ye 
Line  Between  ye  Two  parrishes  in  Dunstable.  JOHN  SWALLOW, 
Parish  Clerk." 

The  town  chose,  Feb.  24,  1761,  Capt.  Jonathan  Butterfield 
"Deer  Reef,"  and  on  May  25  it  voted  to  raise  £16  for  the 
support  of  a  school,  and  i8s.  for  not  having  one  in  1758. 

It  appears  that  at  this  time  the  members  of  the  parish  had 
become  somewhat  remiss  in  respect  to  the  delivery  of  the 
Rev.  Josiah  Goodhue's  twenty-five  cords  of  wood  in  due  season, 
since  at  the  meeting  held  March  2,  1762,  the  parish  "Then 
votted  and  chose  a  Comtee  (Josiah  Blodgett,  Adford  Jaquith 
and  Jeremiah  Cummings)  to  Se  that  Mr  Goodhue  have  his 
wood  By  the  time  above  fixed  (Janr  ist)  or  git  it  themselves." 

The  town  at  this  period  was  increasing  in  population,  and 
the  First  Parish,  or  precinct,  consisted  of  the  following  persons  : 

ELEAZER  TYNG.  TIMOTHY  BANCROFT. 

JOHN  TYNG.  JONATHAN  BUTTERFIELD. 

JOHN  A.  TYNG.  JONATHAN  FARWELL.  * 

JAMES  TYNG.  JOSEPH  WINN. 

WM.  H.  PRENTICE.  ELEAZER  FARWELL. 

WM.  GORDON.  BENJAMIN  FARWELL. 

ROBERT  FLETCHER.  SIMON  THOMPSON. 

SAMUEL  GOULD.  NATHAN  THOMPSON. 

JOSEPH  BUTTERFIELD.  EZRA  THOMPSON. 

REUBEN  BUTTERFIELD.  SILAS  THOMPSON. 

JOHN  PERHAM.  ASA  THOMPSON. 

JOSEPH  PERHAM.  JOHN  ALLS. 

JAMES  PERHAM.  THOMAS  ESTABROOK. 

JACOB  FLETCHER.  THOMAS  ESTABROOK,  Jr. 

ELIJAH  FLETCHER.  TIMOTHY  BARRON. 

ZACCHEUS  SPAULDING.  WM.  BARRON. 

SAMUEL  GOULD.  ROBERT  SCOTT. 

THOMAS  JEWELL.  JACOB  READ. 

BENONI  JEWELL.  JOHN  SCOTT. 

JOHN  INGLES.  WILLARD  HALL. 

JONATHAN  PERHAM.  JOHN  LEWIS. 

SAMUEL  FLETCHER.  REUBEN  LEWIS. 

JOHN  LlTTLEHALE.  ARCHIBALD  ROBINSON. 

ABRAHAM  LITTLEHALE.  JOSEPH  FRENCH,  Esq. 


102  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1763 

LT.  JOHN  VARNUM.  OLIVER  COLBURN. 

JARMKS  LITTI.EHALE.  EZRA  COI.HURN. 

DANIEL  FLETCHER.  JOSEPH  AYRKS. 

JOHN  DIDSON.  JOHN  HADDOCK. 

SAMUEL  HOWARD.  JOHN  HAMBLET. 

Total,  58. 

Of  the  above,  the  Butterfield,  Fletcher,  Gould,  Colburn, 
Perham,  Hamblet,  and  Varnum  families  lived  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Merrimack  River,  which  they  were  obliged  to  cross  by 
means  of  a  ferry-boat  owned  by  the  town.  On  the  4th  of 
February,  1755,  they  were  prevented  from  voting  by  reason  of 
the  high  water  in  the  river. 

Although  money  was  annually  raised  by  the  First  Parish  for 
the  support  of  the  gospel,  no  minister  had  as  yet  been  settled, 
nor  church  organized.  Much  of  the  land  was  owned  by  the 
Tyng  family,  and  was  very  sparsely  inhabited.  The  mill  of 
William  Gordon,  on  Bridge  Meadow  Brook,  was  the  general 
rendezvous  of  the  people,  who  were  at  this  period  in  a  com- 
paratively prosperous  condition. 

In  October,  1762,  the  town  chose  Joseph  Danforth,  William 
Gordon,  and  Josiah  Blodgett  to  show  cause  to  the  Court  why 
Dunstable  "  should  not  be  at  any  charg  of  building  or  Repair- 
ing a  Bridg  over  Concord  River  Billerica." 

Joseph  Danforth,  Lemuel  Perham,  and  Abraham  Kendall 
were  chosen  committee-men  of  the  Second  Parish,  March  14, 
1763,  and  it  "  Then  votted  and  chose  Thaddeus  Comings  and 
oliver  Taylor  to  sweep  the  meting  House  &  Take  Cair  of  ye 
Gushing  &  Baptizing  Bason  for  ye  Ensuing  year  and  Six  Shil- 
lings Be  there  wages  for  ye  same."  It  also  "  Then  Votted  & 
allowed  Asa  Kendalls  accompt  i-io-io  for  making  ye  Parish 
Pew  &  Half  one  window." 

In  Mr.  Goodhue's  records  of  the  church,  it  is  stated,  under 
the  date  of  Dec.  11,  1763,  that  "The  man  Servant  &  maid 
Servant  of  Benjamin  Farwell  were  propounded  in  order  to 
their  owning  the  Covenant  [Nov.  ye  27]  and  admitted  to  y* 
Priviledge,  Decem.  ye  nth."  Their  names  were  Thomas  and 
Margaret,  and  they  were  probably  held  as  slaves. 

A  thunder-storm  passed  over  the  town  on  the  I5th  of  June 
of  this  year,  when  hailstones  fell  nearly  as  large  as  a  hen's  egg, 


1766]  THE  FIRST  CENSUS. 

by  which  the  early  grain  was  beaten  down  and  the  glass  of 
several  windows  broken. 

The  officers  of  the  Second  Parish  for  1764  were  Joseph  Dan- 
forth,  Jacob  Kendall,  Lemuel  Perham,  committee-men  and 
assessors,  Deacon  Samuel  Taylor,  treasurer,  Edward  Kendall, 
collector,  and  John  Swallow,  clerk.  They  were  sworn  into 
office  after  the  customary  form,  as  seen  from  the  following 
record  :  — 

"  After  Having  Taken  ye  oath  Proschribed  By  Law  Concerning  ye  Bils 
of  ye  Neighbouring  Goverments  was  Sworn  to  ye  Trust  &  faithful  Dis- 
charg  of  ye  Respective  offices  to  which  they  were  Chosen  March  ye  I2th 
1764  Before  me  John  Swallow  parish  Clerk." 

Joseph  Fletcher  was  chosen  a  deacon  of  the  church,  Feb.  23, 
1764,  and  at  the  same  meeting  it  was  voted  that  "  Brother  Abra- 
ham Kendall,  Brother  Josiah  Blodgett  and  Brother  Sam11  Cum- 
ings  be  Queresters  in  ye  Congregation."  These  men  probably 
were  expected  "  to  set  the  tunes,"  —  for  assistance  in  which  a 
queer  sort  of  a  wooden  instrument,  called  a  pitch-pipe,  was 
used,  —  and  also  to  lead  the  voices  of  the  people  in  the  singing. 
The  "  lining  out  of  the  psalm  "  was  generally  done  by  the  pas- 
tor or  one  of  the  deacons. 

The  town  chose,  May  27,  1765,  Robert  Blood  and  Josiah 
Blodgett  "  to  inspect  the  Salmon  &  Fishery  according  to  law." 
No  dams  had  then  been  constructed  on  the  Merrimack  or 
Nashua  Rivers,  to  prevent  the  ascent  of  fish,  and  Salmon 
Brook  and  Massapoag  Pond  were  teeming  with  shad,  salmon, 
alewives,  and  other  fish,  which  were  of  great  value  to  the  inhab- 
itants. 

The  first  general  census  of  the  population  of  the  province 
was  taken  this  year,  and  by  it  D unstable  appears  to  have  had 
in  all  90  dwelling-houses,  98  families,  138  males  above  sixteen, 
143  females  above  sixteen,  and  a  total  of  559  inhabitants,  of 
whom  1 6  were  colored  people,  and  probably  held  as  slaves.*  Of 
the  thirty-six  towns  in  the  county,  Bedford,  Dracut,  Natick, 
Shirley,  Stoneham.  only  had  a  smaller  population. 

The   selectmen    of   1766   were   Joseph    Danforth,  William 

*  See  abstract  of  the  Census  of  Mass.,  1860,  p.  255. 


HISTORY  OF  DUXSTABLE. 


[1768 


Gordon,  owner  of  the  saw  and  grist  mill  near  the  mouth  of 
Bridge  Meadow  Brook,  and  Jeremiah  Cummings  ;  and  Eben- 
ezer  French  was  the  "  Deer  Reef."  £8  were  voted  this  year 
for  public  schools. 

A  special  meeting  of  the  Second  Parish  was  held  June  30. 
when  it  was  voted  to  build  a  pulpit,  for  which  ^4  12s.  had 
been  contributed,  and  £4  were  raised  by  the  parish.  Deacon 
Samuel  Taylor,  Ensign  John  Swallow,  and  Mr.  Robert  Blood 
were  chosen  to  "  Carry  on  ye  work,"  and  it  was  voted  that 
"  They  Build  the  pulpit  Like  that  in  Pepril  meting  House," 
and  "  as  Desent  as  they  Could  for  ye  money  subscribed  & 
voted  to  be  raised." 

There  seems  to  have  been  some  misunderstanding  in  regard 
to  this  sacred  desk,  for  on  the  9th  of  March,  1767,  the  parish 
"  Voted  Not  to  Build  a  Pulpit,"  so  that  for  some  time  longer 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Goodhue  was  obliged  to  dispense  the  gospel  from 
the  rude  platform  erected  soon  after  the  raising  of  the  meeting- 
house. 

The  town  voted,  on  the  25th  of  May  of  this  year,  "  to  Raise 
&  assest  ^36  %s.  for  the  use  of  a  school,  Repairing  the  pound, 
Building  one  pair  of  Stocks  &  other  Town  charges."  The 
pound  in  the  \yest  part  stood  and  still  stands  beside  the  road 
from  Dunstable  Centre  to  Tyngsborough  Centre,  a  little  east- 
ward of  the  homestead  of  Dexter  Butterfield.  The  stocks? 
sometimes  called  the  "cage,"  stood  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
respective  churches,  and  the  whipping-post  hard  by  them  ; 
but  I  find  no  record  of  such  an  instrument  on  the  books  of  the 
town  or  parish. 

In  accordance  with  the  custom  of  the  times,  the  Second 
Parish  chose,  April  21,  1768,  Deacon  Samuel  Taylor,  Benja- 
min Woodward,  and  Robert  Blood  a  committee  "  to  seat  this 
meeting  house  and  that  the  Highest  Payers  in  the  Last  years 
Tax  on  the  Reail  and  Personal  Estate  to  be  the  Rule  to  Seat 
Sd  house  By  and  farther  that  thay  have  No  Regard  to  the 
Proprietors  of  the  Pews  in  Sd  house  in  seating  the  meeting 
house."  It  was  voted  also  to  have  regard  to  age  in  seating 
the  meeting-house,  also  "  to  Peticion  to  the  Great  and  Genrel 
Court  to  Be  maid  a  Destrect." 


1/68] 


A   PROTEST. 


To  the  action  of  this  meeting  in  respect  to  one  article, 
Robert  Blood,  Benj.  Pike,  Josiah  Blodgett,  and  Lemuel  Perham 
presented  severally  a  protest.  Among  the  reasons  assigned 
by  the  latter,  one  is,  "  Because  thay  voted  that  Mr  Joseph  Pike 
Should  Sett  in  the  fore  seat  when  thire  was  Nothing  in  the 
Warrant  thire." 

The  desire  of  occupying  the  first  seats  in  the  synagogue 
seems  to  have  been  as  strong  as  in  the  days  of  the  Scribes  and 
the  Pharisees.  Does  not  a  little  of  that  spirit,  in  some  of  our 
churches,  linger  still  ? 


106  HISTORY  OF  DUNS  TABLE. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

BEGINNING  OF  THE  AMERICAN  REVOLUTION.  —  FIRST  ACTION  OF  THE  TOWN 
RESPECTING  IT.  —  THE  TOWN  DIVIDED  INTO  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS.  —  THE 
REV.  JOSIAH  GOODHUE  DISMISSED.  —  IIlS  CHARACTER.  —  COMMITTEE  OF 
INSPKCTION. — A  PATRIOTIC  PLEDGE.  —  MINUTK  MEN.  —  BATTLE  OF 
BUNKER  HILL. —  HEROIC  ACTION  OF  JONAS  AND  WILLIAM  FRENCH. — 
MKMBERS  OFCAPT.  OLIVER  CUMMINGS'S  COMPANY.  —  OF  THE  ALARM  LIST. 
—  LIST  OF  THE  TRAINING  BAND,  1776.  —  THE  ALARM  LIST.  —  NAMES  OF 
THOSK  IN  THE  ARMY.  —  A  SPIRITED  RESOLUTION.  —  LETTERS  FROM  JAMES 
CUMMINGS.  —  A  WARRANT  OF  CAPT.  OLIVER  CUMMINGS.  —  TORIES. — 
WARRANT  FOR  A  DRAFT  OF  MEN.  —  FOREIGNERS  HIRED.  — ENLISTMENTS.  — 
ACTIVITY  AND  EXPENSES  OF  THE  SECOND  PARISH  IN  HIRING  AND  PAYING 
SOLDIERS.  —  LIST  OF  MEN  ENGAGED  IN  THE  SERVICE  AND  THEIR  PAY. 

"  Every  settler's  hearth  was  a  school  of  independence  ;  the  scholars 
were  apt,  and  the  lessons  sunk  deeply  ;  and  thus  it  came  that  our  country 
was  always  free."  FRANCIS  W.  P.  GREENWOOD. 

"  They  left  the  ploughshare  in  the  mould, 
Their  flocks  and  herds  without  a  fold, 
The  sickle  in  the  unshorn  grain, 
The  corn  half  garnered  on  the  plain, 
And  mustered  in  their  simple  dress, 
For  wrongs  to  seek  a  stern  redress, 
To  right  those  wrongs,  come  weal,  come  woe, 
To  perish,  or  o'ercbme  their  foe."       I.  McLELLAN,  JR. 

THE  town  voted  in  1768  "to  build  the  bridge  with  stone 
over  Biscake  Brook."  William  Henry  Prentice  and  Jonathan 
Holden  were  to  assist  John  Perham,*  the  surveyor  of  high- 

*  He  was  probably  the  son  of  Joseph  Perham,  born  in  Chelmsford,  Oct.  22, 
1669,  who  purchased  land  and  settled  near  Joseph  Butterfield  on  the  east  side  of 
the  Merrimack  River  in  1711.  He  married  Dorothy  Kidder,  and  had  eleven 
children,  one  of  whom,  born  in  1716,  was  named  John.  His  neighbor,  Lieut.  Joseph 
Butterfield,  came  also  from  Chelmsford,  where  he  was  born  June  6,  1680,  and 
lived  in  a  garrison  house,  built  on  land  purchased  of  Samuel  Scarlett.  His  sons 
bore  the  names  of  Joseph,  Benjamin,  and  Reuben.  One  of  hi-;  daughters  married 
a  Hogg,  who  subsequently  had  his  name  changed  to  Moore,  but  this  only  made 
the  matter  worse,  for  he  was  then  called  "  More  Hog." 


1768] 


THE  REVOLUTION. 


ways,  in  its  execution.  This  brook  is  the  little  stream  that 
enters  the  Merrimack  River  near  the  depot  at  Tyngsborough 
Centre. 

But  matters  of  higher  moment  now  began  to  engross  the 
attention  of  the  people.  The  repeated  acts  of  British  aggres- 
sion on  the  rights  of  the  American  colonies  had  become  insup- 
portable, and  Massachusetts  issued  a  circular  on  the  28th  of 
February  of  this  year,  asking  the  co-operation  of  the  assem- 
blies in  opposing  the  obnoxious  measures  of  Parliament.  The 
principles  of  civil  liberty,  long  germinating  in  the  breasts  of 
the  people,  were  now  to  come  into  collision  with  the  arbitrary 
and  unjust  decisions  of  the  British  ministry. 

To  quell  the  popular  demonstrations,  Gen.  Thomas  Gage, 
with  seven  hundred  soldiers,  entered  Boston  on  the  twenty- 
eighth  day  of  September,  when  it  soon  became  evident  that 
"  armed  oppression  must  be  met  by  armed  resistance." 

In  the  tremendous  struggle  which  ensued,  Dunstable  was 
true  to  the  cause  of  liberty,  and  freely  shed  its  best  blood  in 
the  defence  of  those  "  inalienable  rights  "  which  form  the  solid 
basis  of  the  temple  of  our  national  freedom.  The  first  recorded 
act  of  the  town  in  the  impending  crisis  was  "to  choose  the 
Hon.  John  Tyng,  Esq.,*  to  act  for  them  at  Boston  on  the 
twenty-second  day  of  September,  1768,  in  convention  with 
such  as  may  be  sent  to  join  him  from  the  several  Towns  in  this 
Province,  in  order  that  such  measures  may  be  consulted  & 
advised  as  his  majesty's  service  and  the  peace  and  safety  of  his 
subjects  in  the  Province  may  require."  Ninety-eight  towns  sent 
delegates  to  this  convention,  which  was  called  by  the  select- 
men of  Boston  "  to  deliberate  on  constitutional  measures  and 
to  obtain  redress  of  their  grievances,"  in  consequence  of  the 
dissolution  of  the  General  Court  by  the  order  of  Gov.  Francis 
Bernard. 

In  November  following  (the  28th)  the  town  voted  £20  for 

*  Son  of  Major  John  Tyng,  who  was  mortally  wounded  by  the  Indians  between 
Groton  and  Concord,  and  carried  to  the  latter  place,  where  he  died  in  1711.  He 
was  born  in  1700,  and  died  in  1797.  He  married  Mary  Ward  well,  of  Boston. 
Their  daughter  Mary,  born  in  1739,  married  the  Hon.  John  Pitts,  and  died  in 
1781. 


I08  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l?72 

the  use  of  a  school ;  and  also  "  to  provide  a  sufficient  quan- 
tity of  ammunition  for  a  town  stock."  This  latter  vote  was 
significant. 

In  1769  the  town  chose  five  instead  of  three  selectmen. 
They  were  Joseph  Danforth,  Abraham  Kendall,  Joseph  Fletch- 
er, Ebenezer  Bancroft,  and  Joel  Parkhurst,  all  men  of  genuine 
patriotism  and  sterling  worth.  The  sum  of  £6  los.  was  ap- 
propriated to  the  purchase  of  ammunition  and  £20  for  the 
use  of  a  school ;  three  shillings  were  allowed  for  a  day's  work. 
Ezra  Blood  and  his  wife  Eunice,  also  Josiah,  Sarah,  Ezra,  and 
Hannah  Blood,  came  in  September  from  Mason,  N.  H.,  to  reside 
in  Dunstable. 

On  the  1 5th  of  August,  1770,  the  town  was  called  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  Capt.  John  Cummings,  who  had  held  many  public 
offices,  and  who  died  "  in  ye  75  year  of  his  age."  The  assess- 
ment of  the  Second  Parish  this  year  was  £$  I  %d.  2qrs.,  together 
with  25  cords  of  wood  for  the  minister,  at  4^.  per  cord. 

John  Kendall  and  Amaziah  Swallow  were  chosen  "  to  repair 
ye  pound." 

The  Boston  massacre,  March  5,  taxation  without  represen- 
tation, pledges  against  the  use  of  tea  and  foreign  manufactures, 
formed  the  leading  topics  of  conversation  in  the  tavern,  shops, 
and  homes  of  Dunstable,  and  the  oH  firelocks  used  in  the 
French  War,  a  few  of  which  remain  to  this  day,  were  quietly 
put  into  effective  order. 

March  4,  1771,  Joseph  Danforth  was  chosen  town  clerk,  and 
the  selectmen  then  elected  were  Ebenezer  Bancroft,  Joel  Park- 
hurst,  Jonathan  Fletcher,  Benjamin  Woodward,  and  Nathaniel 
Holden.  Ebenezer  French  was  chosen  deer  reeve,  and  ^24 
were  appropriated  for  educational  and  other  purposes. 

In  1 772  Nathaniel  Balston,  of  Boston,  sold  to  John  Tyng,  Esq., 
of  Dunstable,  three  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land,  bounded 
easterly  by  Brattle's  farm,  southerly  by  Tyng's  farm,  westerly 
by  Massapoag  Pond,  and  northerly  by  land  formerly  owned  by 
Edward  Cowell.  Thomas  Cooper,  of  Fort  Pownal,  quitclaimed 
the  land.  Ebenezer  Nutting,  his  wife  and  four  children,  came 
to  reside  in  town,  Dec.  25,  from  Groton.  Even  to  that  date 
people  had  to  obtain  permission  to  settle  in  the  town. 


1774]  THE  REV-  7°SIAH  GOODHUE.  109 

In  the  same  year  the  town  voted  £84  for  educational  and 
other  purposes.  In  1773  the  town  appropriated  ^20  for  a 
school.  It  laid  out  a  "  town  way,  two  rods  wide,"  from  "  the 
Provence  line,"  commencing  north  of  John  Kendall's  house, 
and  running  by  Temple  Kendall's  house  "to  the  road  that  was 
laid  out  by  said  Kendalls  and  Samuel  Taylors  house."  It 
appears  that  there  was  a  growing  disaffection  towards  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Goodhue,  but  for  what  reason  the  records  do  not  state. 
Some  of  the  members  of  the  parish  declined  to  pay  their  rates, 
and  the  twenty-five  cords  of  wood  were  not  promptly  piled  up 
at  his  door.  Contention  and  ill  will  so  far  prevailed  that  the 
parish  voted,  March  8,  1773,  not  to  be  assessed  for  his  salary, 
either  in  money  or  in  wood,  for  that  or  the  preceding  year; 
and  on  the  28th  of  September  following,  it  voted  "to  Dismis 
the  Reverend  Josiah  Goodhue  from  any  Relation  that  he 
Standeth  in  to  this  Second  Parish  in  the  Town  of  Dunstable." 

The  pastor  was  determined  to  have  his  dues,  and  so  on  the 
eleventh  day  of  August,  1774,  issued  a  writ  against  the  parish 
for  .£175  in  lawful  money,  and  eighty-seven  and  a  half  cords 
of  wood,  of  the  value,  says  the  writ,  "of  £,21  ijs.  ^>d.  of  Like 
Money  for  three  Years  and  an  half  a  Year  Salary  ending  the 
1 5th  day  of  March  last."  By  a  mutual  council,  consisting  of 
seven  churches,  convened  Sept.  28,  1774,  the  pastoral  relation 
between  Mr.  Goodhue  and  the  church  was  dissolved,  "  not  from 
any  particular  dislike  to  him,  but  from  a  consideration  of  the 
unhappy  prospect  before  him,  if  he  should  still  continue  their 
minister."  The  council  aver  that  they  "  can  heartily  recom- 
mend him  as  a  person  of  conspicuous  seriousness  &  piety,  and 
as  one  whom  they  judge  qualified  to  do  service  in  the  ministry." 

The  council  also  recommended  to  the  church  and  parish, 
"that  whereas  they  have  been  broken  to  pieces  by  unhappy 
contentions,  they  may  for  the  future  be  united  together  in  love 
and  friendship." 

During  his  pastorate  of  seventeen  years,  sixty-five  persons 
were  admitted  to  the  church,  and  he  seems  to  have  left  for  the 
simple  reason  that  the  people,  as  one  said,  "  were  tired  of  him." 
While  in  Dunstable,  he  resided  in  a  house  near  that  of  Adford 
Jaquith,  at  the  northern  base  of  Forest  Hill.  The  arrearages 


j  j  o  HIS  TOR  Y  OF  D  UNSTABLE.  [  1 7  74 

in  Mr.  Goodhue's  salary  were  subsequently  paid.  He  was 
afterwards  settled  and  died  in  Putney,  Vt.  In  the  sermon 
preached  at  his  funeral,  Nov.  16,  1797,  the  Rev.  William  Wells 
said  of  him  :  — 

"  I  believe  you  will  all  join  with  me  in  asserting  piety  to 
God  and  benevolence  to  man  were  leading  features  of  his  char- 
acter. The  great  object  of  his  life  was  to  be  useful  in  his 
station  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  and  exemplify  in 
his  own  conduct  and  temper  those  virtues  and  graces  which, 
with  the  greatest  sincerity,  he  recommended  to  others.  His  end, 
like  that  of  the  godly  man's,  was  peace,  being  not  only  resigned 
at  the  prospect  of  his  dissolution,  but  desirous  to  depart  and  be 
with  Christ."  * 

Mr.  Goodhue  was  married  to  Elizabeth,  eldest  daughter  of 
Deacon  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Underwood)  Fletcher,  July  28, 
1757.  She  died  Oct.  22,  1793.  Their  children  were,  I.  Josiah, 
who  became  an  eminent  surgeon.  2.  Joseph,  who  was  also  a 
surgeon,  and  twenty-one  years  in  the  United  States  service. 

3.  Ebenezer,  who  was  deacon  of  a  church  in  Westminster,  Vt. 

4.  Eliza,  who  married  Peter  Aikin,  of  Windham,  Vt.    5.  Samuel 
B.    And  6.  Nathaniel,  who  was  by  profession  a  lawyer. 

There  was  an  article  in  the  warrant  for  a  town  meeting,  in 
1774,  to  build  a  school-house,  but  the  town  voted  not  to  do  it. 
This  is  the  first  reference  to  such  a  building  on  the  records. 
The  prospect  of  a  war  with  the  mother  country  probably  pre- 
vented the  town  from  incurring  the  expense.  In  April  of  the 
ensuing  year,  Deacon  Joseph  Fletcher,  Josiah  Blodgett,  Temple 
Kendall,  James  Tyng,  Esq.,f  Captain  Joseph  Butterfield,  Wil- 
liam Gordon,  and  Ebenezer  Bancroft  were  chosen  "  to  divide 
the  town  into  districts  for  schooling  " 

By  the  action  of  the  first  Provincial  Congress,  which,  in 
October,  1774,  created  a  committee  of  safety,  and  provided 
that  a  fourth  part  of  the  enrolled  militia  should,  as  "  minute 
men,"  be  held  in  readiness  for  immediate  service,  it  became 
apparent  that  a  collision  between  the  American  and  British 

*  Dunstable  Church  Records,  p.  71. 

t  Youngest  son  of  Eleazer  Tyng,  and  born  March  6,  1731.     He   held  many 
public  offices. 


1775]  COMMITTEE   OF  INSPECTION.  TII 

forces  was  impending,  and  Dunstable,  with  patriotic  resolution, 
hastened  to  make  preparation  to  assist  as  far  as  possible  in  the 
common  cause  of  freedom. 

On  the  23d  of  January,  1775,  it  chose  John  Tyng  and  James 
Tyng  as  representatives  to  the  Provincial  Congress  to  be  held 
at  Cambridge,  and  on  the  1st  of  February  ensuing,  it  appointed 
those  two  gentlemen,  together  with  Joseph  Danforth,*  Nathan- 
iel Holden,  William  Gordon,  Joel  Parkhurst,  Reuben  Butter- 
field,  Jacob  Butterfield,  and  Leonard  Butterfield,  as  a  com- 
mittee of  inspection  to  "  carry  into  execution  in  the  Town  of 
Dunstable  the  agreement  and  association  of  the  late  respected 
Continental  Congress." 

*  Lieut  Joseph  Danforth,  born  1720  and  died  1795,  was  a  son  °f  tne  Hon. 
Samuel  Danforth,  grandson  of  Jonathan  and  Rebecca  (Parker)  Danforth,  and 
great-grandson  of  Jonathan  Danforth,  of  Billerica,  the  noted  land  surveyor.  Lieut. 
Joseph  Danforth  married  Mary  Richardson  and  had  eight  children.  His  son,  Josiah 
Danforth,  was  the  father  of  Capt.  Joseph  Danforth,  and  grandfather  of  the  pres- 
ent Capt.  Joseph  Danforth,  born  Aug.  9,  1805,  who  occupies  the  old  homestead 
in  a  pleasant  locality,  a  little  south  of  the  State  line,  and  on  Howard's  Brook. 
A  part  of  the  Danforth  estate  is  thus  described  :  "  Whereas,  the  Town  of  Dun- 
stable  granted  unto  Peter  Bennett  a  thirty  acre  House  Lot,  which  was  laid  out 
unto  him  next  adjoyning  to  the  lot  laid  out  for  the  minister  and  afterwards  the  sd 
Peter  did  resign  up  and  relinquish  his  Right  in  the  sd  Lot  with  the  appurtenances 
and  by  Consent  took  his  allotment  in  another  part  of  the  said  Township  so  yt  the 
sd  Thirty  acre  house  lot  was  granted  unto  Thos  Wheler  and  by  him  sold  to  Joseph 
Wheeler  and  by  him  the  sd  Joseph  conveyed  to  John  Hayward  with  three  acres 
of  Second  Division  land  adjoyning,  which  Said  Lot  and  addition  is  butted  and 
Bounded  northeasterly  partly  by  Meremack  river  &  partly  by  the  land  of  Joseph 
Wheler  Southerly  by  the  land  of  Capt  Thos  Brattle  Northwesterly  by  the  lot 
laid  out  for  the  minister  in  the  sd  Township  and  southeasterly  by  the  Land  o, 

Joseph  Wheler Also  80  acres  of  Second  Division  land  being  bounded  north. 

west  and  west  by  Common  Land  Easterly  by  the  Land  of  Joseph  Wheeler  south- 
erly by  the  Brook  that  runs  from  Seven  Star  Medow  also  one  acre  of  medow  on 
the  other  side  of  the  sd  Brook  &  one  acre  more  on  the  sd  Brook  about  30  rods 
Distant  also  two  acres  of  medow  beyond  Buck  Medow — Wee  whose  names  are 
here  underwritten  Being  appointed  a  Comittee  for  the  Laying  out  of  lots  in  the 
Township  of  Dunstable  are  prive  to  this  Concern  &  have  managed  the  same  by 
Vertue  of  the  power  Granted  to  us  and  is  Confirmed  to  the  Sd  Hayward  at  a 
Town  meeting  the  5th  of  October  1680  at  which  time  this  return  was  ordered  to 
be  recorded  in  the  records  of  Sd  Town. 

"  JAMES  PARKER. 
ROBERT  PARIS. 
"  A  True  Copy  Attest 

pr  JOSEPH  FRENCH 

Proprs  Clark." 


112  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

The  following  pledge  evinces  the  patriotic  spirit  of  the  peo- 
ple in  the  very  commencement  of  the  tremendous  struggle  :  — 

"  We  the  subscribers  taking  into  our  consideration  the  present  difficulty, 
do  hereby  voluntarily  engage  with  each  other  in  defence  of  our  country, 
Priveledges  and  Libertys  for  the  space  of  six  months  from  this  date  ;  that 
we  will  submit  ourselves  to  the  Laws  equally  the  same  as  if  they  were  in 
full  force  respecting  our  officers  that  now  are,  or  hereafter  may  be  chosen 
in  all  Military  Duty.  —  DUXSTABLE,  March  ist,  1775. 

"  EDWARD  BUTTERFIELD.  SAMUEL  ROBY. 

NATHANIEL  HOLDEN.  ELEAZER  FRENCH. 

LEMUEL  PERHAM.  PHILIP  BUTTERFIELD. 

GEORGE  BISHOP.  JERALMEEL  COLBURN. 

EBENEZER  FRENCH.  WM.  FRENCH. 

JONATHAN  BANCROFT.  JONATHAN  SHERWIN. 

JOHN  CHANEY.  JOHN  MANNING. 

REUBEN  LEWIS.  JACOB  DAVIS. 

JOHN  CUMINGS.  JESSE  BUTTERFIELD. 

JOHN  FRENCH.  HEZEKIAH  KENDALL. 

ZEBEDEE  KENDALL.  HENRY  SHEPPARD. 

JOSEPH  FARRAR.  WILLIAM  GLENNE. 

JOHN  MARSH.  JONATHAN  WOODWARD. 

JOHN  COCKLE.  THOMAS  TROWBRIDGE." 
Total,  28. 

The  above  valuable  paper  belongs  to  Dexter  Butterfield. 

On  the  4th  of  April,  1775,  the  town  voted  "  to  have  menite 
men  agreeable  to  the  desire  of  the  provincial  Congress,"  and 
on  the  1 2th  of  the  same  month  it  voted  to  assess  £20  for  "ye 
encouragement  &  use  of  ye  minute  men  "  ;  and  they  were  "  re- 
quired to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  march  at  the  first 
notice."  *  This  notice  was  not  long  in  coming ;  nor  did  it 
find  the  Dunstable  soldiers  unprepared,  since  many  of  them 
had  seen  hard  service  in  the  old  French  War,  and  a  weekly 
drill  had  long  been  held.  Late  on  the  iQth  of  April,  the  start- 

*  "  These  minute  men  were  trained  often,  the  towns  paying  the  expense,  when 
the  company,  after  its  field  exercises,  would  sometimes  repair  to  the  meeting- 
house to  hear  a  patriotic  sermon,  or  partake  of  an  entertainment  at  the  Town 
House,  where  zealous  '  Sons  of  Liberty '  would  exhort  them  to  prepare  to  fight 
bravely  for  God  and  their  country."  —  Frothingham's  Siege  of  Boston,  p.  42. 

"  Lord  Percy  said  at  table  he  never  saw  anything  equal  to  the  intrepidity  of  the 
New  England  minute  men."  —  Remembrancer,  Vol.  I,  in.  They  were  of  all 
classes,  and  it  was  held  as  a  marked  distinction  to  be  chosen  as  an  officer  in  a 
company. 


1775] 


BATTLE  OF  BUNKER  HILL. 


ling  news  arrived  that  blood  had  been  shed  at  Lexington  and 
Concord  ;  but  the  affair  was  finished  before  the  men  from 
Dunstable  had  time  to  reach  the  scene  of  action.  It  is  said 
that  while  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill  was  raging  a  stranger 
called  at  the  house  of  Mrs.  Jonathan  Woodward  near  "  The 
Gulf,"  and  asked  for  something  to  eat.  "  While  partaking  of 
her  hospitality  he  began  to  berate  Americans,  and,  boasting  of 
the  success  of  the  British,  declared  that  all  would  be  subjects 
of  King  George,  to  whom  they  rightly  belonged.  Incensed  at 
his  insolence,  she  opened  the  door  and  commanded  him  to  leave 
the  house,  which  he  refused  to  do,  saying  he  would  go  when  he 
was  ready.  She  then  seized  a  chair,  knocked  him  down,  and 
dragged  him  out  of  the  house,  convincing  him,  no  doubt,  of 
one  woman's  courage,  and  devotion  to  the  country."  *  Eight 
days  after  the  battle  the  town  assembled,  and  "  voted  to  accept 
of  ye  Powder  James  Tyng,  Esq.,  bought  for  this  town." 

Abel  Spaulding,  Lemuel  Perham,  Elijah  Fletcher,  and  Asa 
Kendall  were  chosen  to  join  the  Committee  of  Correspondence! 
on  the  1 2th  of  June  ;  and  at  the  same  meeting  Joel  Parkhurst, 
a  man  of  pure  patriotism,  was  chosen  to  represent  the  town 
in  the  Continental  Congress  at  Watertown,  instead  of  John 
Tyng,  whose  health  was  impaired,  and  James  Tyng  who  "  had 
a  multiplicity  of  business."  This  was  the  time  that  tried 
men's  souls.  Five  days  afterwards  the  Dunstable  company, 
composed  of  fifty  men,  forming  a  part  of  the  Massachusetts 
regiment,  under  the  command  of  Col.  Ebenezer  Bridge,  com- 
missioned at  Billerica,  May  27,  was  present,  and  participated 
in  the  memorable  action  of  Bunker  Hill.  Ebenezer  Bancroft 
was  captain,  Nathaniel  Holden,  lieutenant,  and  Samuel  Brown, 
ensign.  Col.  Bridge  was  sent  forward  on  the  evening  of  the 
1 6th  of  June  with  a  part  of  his  regiment,  embracing  Capt. 
Bancroft's  company,  to  throw  up  the  entrenchment  on  the  hill, 


*  Tyngsborough  Centennial  Record. 

t  The  Committee  of  Correspondence  was  called  the  mainspring  o£  the  Revo- 
lutionary movement.  It  published  from  time  to  time  the  news  of  home  and 
abroad  in  hand-bills,  and,  in  concert  with  the  selectmen  and  parish  committees, 
took  counsel  in  respect  to  the  enemy,  and  supervision  of  all  local  matters  per- 
taining to  the  war. 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


[1775 


and  after  toiling  through  the  night  upon  the  redoubt,  awaited 
for  the  advance  of  the  British  squadrons.  During  the  san- 
guinary contest  that  ensued,  the  company  from  Dunstable 
evinced  all  the  valor  of  veteran  soldiers,  as  many  of  them 
indeed  were,  and  it  was  only  after  their  ammunition  was  ex- 
hausted that  they  left  the  field.  Capt.  Bancroft  was  severely 
wounded.*  Eleazer  French  had  an  arm  shot  off  during  the 
action,  and  picking  it  up,  bore  it  as  a  trophy  from  the  bloody 
field.  His  brother,  Samuel  French,  had  a  ball  shot  through 
his  right  ear.  Jonathan  French,  another  brother,  was  in  the 
battle.  William  French  and  Jonas  French,  two  brothers  of 
another  family,  did  good  service  on  that  eventful  day.  The 
former  discharged  his  gun  with  deliberate  aim,  as  at  a  pigeon, 
sixteen  times.  He  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  served  through 
the  war,  and  died  in  Dunstable  at  an  advanced  age.  From  his 
sobriety  and  uprightness  he  was  called  "  Deacon  William." 

At  the  close  of  the  battle  these  two  brothers  left  the  hill 
together,  and  on  crossing  "the  Neck"  under  the  fire  of  the 
"  Glasgow  "  man-of-war,  they  discovered  an  officer  very  severely 
wounded,  and  tendered  him  assistance.  "  I  cannot  live,"  he 
said.  "  Take  care  of  yourselves."  They,  however,  raised  him 
to  their  shoulders  and  bore  him  through  the.  havoc  to  a  place 
of  safety.  It  proved  to  be  Capt.  Henry  Farvvell,  of  Groton.f 

Mr.  Ebenezer  French  was  also  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 
He  was  the  grandfather  of  Benjamin  French,  Esq.,  who  has  now 
in  his  possession  the  bullet-moulds  (which  are  of  brass  and  will 

*  Capt.  Bancroft  fought  nobly  in  the  redoubt,  and  was  wounded  (Siege  of  Bos- 
ton, p.  177),  and  was  the  last  to  leave  the  redoubt.  He  used  a  musket  in  the  mHee, 
and,  being  a  man  of  remarkable  strength,  knocked  down  several  British  soldiers 
after  they  had  surrounded  him.  He  had  been  an  officer  in  the  French  War,  and 
had  learned  how  to  fight  in  earnest.  Before  he  left  the  field  his  musket  was 
wrenched  from  his  hands,  his  hat  knocked  from  his  head,  and  the  forefinger  of 
his  right-hand  shot  off.  It  is  a  marvel  he  was  not  killed.  He  said  of  Col. 
William  Prescott,  commander-in-chief  in  this  battle,  and  of  whose  intrepidity 
he  was  an  eye-witness,  "  He  continued  through  the  hottest  of  the  fight  to  display 
admirable  coolness,  and  a  self-possession  that  would  do  honor  to  the  greatest 
hero  of  any  age.  He  gave  his  orders  deliberately,  and  how  effectually  they  were 
obeyed  I  need  not  tell."  (Siege  of  Boston,  p.  158.)  He  was  made  a  lieutenant- 
colonel  in  1780,  and  served  through  most  of  the  war. 

t  Butler's  History  of  Groton,  p.  268. 


17/6] 


BLANKETS  FOR    THE  SOLDIERS. 


form  twenty-four  bullets  of  different  sizes  at  one  casting),  the 
camp-kettle,  and  musket  of  this  brave  soldier.  He  died  April 
14,  1808,  in  the  seventy-seventh  year  of  his  age.  Some  of  the 
Dunstable  men  were  in  Capt.  John  Ford's  company  of  Chelms- 
ford.  They  reached  the  field  just  before  the  action  began,  and 
fought  with  great  bravery.  Oliver  Cummings,  soon  after  made 
captain,  was,  by  reason  of  sickness,  not  present  at  the  battle. 
While  Isaac  Wright  was  sitting  exhausted  on  a  bank  in  front 
of  a  house  in  Charlestown,  a  cannon-ball  came  rolling  along  so 
near  him  that  he  could  have  touched  it  with  his  foot,  and  on 
being  asked  why  he  did  not  stop  it,  he  said,  "  I  then  should 
have  returned  home  with  only  one  leg."  He  was  one  of  the 
first  to  enlist  for  the  war. 

During  the  siege  of  Boston  many  of  its  inhabitants  repaired 
to  the  other  towns  in  the  State  in  order  to  avoid  the  ill  treat- 
ment of  the  hostile  troops,  and  several  of  them  came  to  Dun- 
stable,  where,  as  it  appears  from  the  following  vote,  they  were 
kindly  entertained  :  — 

Nov.  20,  1775,  voted  that  "ye  Poor  &  Indigent  inhabitants  of  the  town 
of  Boston  which  are  now  in  this  town  be  supported  with  ye  provisions  of 
this  town  so  long  as  it  could  be  procured  in  Sd  town  therefor." 

It  was  represented  to  the  General  Court,  May  i,  1775,  that 
there  were  about  5,000  indigent  people  in  Boston,  then  in  pos- 
session of  the  British,  unable  to  meet  the  expense  of  removing 
themselves  from  the  town.  The  Court,  therefore,  resolved  that 
the  towns  in  the  vicinity  should  do  this,  and  also  "  provide  for 
such  inhabitants  in  the  best  &  most  prudent  way."  The  expense 
was  to  be  met  by  the  public  treasury.  Fifty-four  poor  persons 
from  Boston  were  assigned  to  Billerica,  and  probably  about 
forty  to  Dunstable.  They  brought  with  them  this  certificate  : 

"  The  bearer and  his  family,  removing  out  of  the  town 

of  Boston,  are  recommended  to  the  charity  and  assistance 
of  our  sympathizing  brethren  in  the  several  towns  in  this 
province." 

It  was  ordered  by  the  General  Court,  Jan.  4,  1776,  that  four 
thousand  blankets  should  be  provided  by  the  respective  towns 
for  the  soldiers  in  the  army,  and  paid  for  out  of  the  public 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


[1776 


treasury.     About  one  dozen  of  them  were  furnished  by  Dun- 
stable. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1776,  Capt.  Ebenezer  Bancroft,  Capt. 
Reuben  Butterfield,  Jonathan  Fletcher,  Nathaniel  Holden,  and 
Asa  Kendall  were  chosen  a  Committee  of  Correspondence,  and 
on  the  3  ist  of  May  following,  Oliver  Cummings  was  commis- 
sioned captain  of  the  Dunstable  company  in  the  regiment  of 
militia  of  which  Simeon  Spaulding  was  the  colonel.  The  com- 
pany consisted  of  the  following  men  :  — 

ROLL  OF  CAPT.  OLIVER  CUMMINGS'S  COMPANY. 


OLIVER  CUMINGS,  Capt. 

TEMPLE  KENDALL,  Lt. 

JOEL  PARKHURST,  Lt. 

AMAZIAH  SWALLOW. 

JOSIAH  BLODGETT,  Jr. 

JONA'N  FLETCHER. 

EBENR  FRENCH. 

ABEL  SPAULDING. 

JONAS  TAYLOR. 

SIMEON  CUMINGS. 

JONAS  BUTTERFIELD. 

JOSEPH  SPAULDING,  Drummer.* 

OLIVER  CUMINGS,  Jr.,  Fifer. 

EBENR  BUTTERFIELD,  Jr. 

JESSE  BUTTERFIELD. 

PHILLIP  BUTTERFIELD. 

ZEBULON  BLODGETT. 

ELIPHALET  BAILEY. 

JACOB  BALDWIN. 

JOHN  CUMINGS. 

JAMES  CUMINGS. 

JESSE  DUTTON. 

JOSIAH  DANFORTH. 

ROBERT  DUNN. 

PHINEHAS  FLETCHER. 

SAML  FRENCH. 


JONAS  FRENCH. 
AARON  FARMER. 
BENJ  JAQUITH. 
JACOB  KENDALL. 
ZEBEDEE  KENDALL. 
MOSES  HARDY. 
JOHN  PERHAM. 
JOSEPH  PARKHURST,  Jr. 
JOHN  PROCTOR. 
JONA'N  PROCTOR. 
GERSHOM  PROCTOR. 
BENJ.  PIKE,  JR. 
ELEAZER  READ. 
ELIJAH  ROBBINS. 
BENJ.  SWALLOW. 
PETER  SWALLOW. 
OLIVER  TAYLOR. 
ISAAC  TAYLOR. 
SAML  TAYLOR,  Jr. 
JONATHAN  TEN  NY. 
JONATHAN  WOODWARD. 
ISAAC  WRIGHT. 
SOLOMON  SARTLE. 
OLIVER  GREEN. 
EDWARD  DUNN. 
EBENR  PARKHURST. 


*  The  fife,  the  drum,  and  the  trumpet  were  the  only  musical  instruments  then 
used  in  the  Continental  army.  The  tunes  usually  played  were  "  Yankee  Doodle  " 
and  the  "  Road  to  Boston."  The  tune  of  "  Chester,"  by  William  Billings,  was 
sometimes  heard  in  the  camp,  and  before  the  close  of  the  war  several  new 
marches  were  introduced.  Military  bands  were  not  formed  in  this  country  until 
about  the  commencement  of  the  present  century.  They  were,  in  some  instances, 
taught  by  the  Hessians,  who  settled  here  after  the  war  was  over. 


1776]  ROLL   OF    TRAINING  BAND. 

JOHN  MARSH.  JAMES  TARBOX. 

JONA  FRENCH.  WM.  FRENCH. 

The  Alarm  List. 

Capt.  LEONARD  BUTTERFIELD.  TIMOTHY  READ. 

Lt.  JOSEPH  DANFORTH.  Lt.  LEMUEL  PERHAM. 

Lt.  SAML.  BROWN.  Jos.  PARKHURST. 

JOHN  KENDALL.  TIMOTHY  READ,  Jr. 

BENJ.  PIKE.  THOS.  FLETCHER. 

BENJ.  WOODWARD.  EDWARD  DUNN. 

EDWARD  KENDALL.  PARRET  TINNEY. 

DAVID  TAYLOR.  Lt.  JOHN  CHENEY. 

Each  soldier  was  provided  with  a  fire-arm,  bayonet,  cutting- 
sword  or  hatchet,  cartridge-box,  from  fifteen  to  one  hundred 
pounds  of  buckshot,  jackknife,  powder,  from  fifteen  to  one  hun- 
dred pounds  of  balls,  six  flints,  a  knapsack,  blanket,  and  can- 
teen. The  muskets  were  long  and  heavy,  and  very  inferior 
instruments  in  comparison  with  the  effective  needle-guns  of  the 
present  day.  The  knapsack  was  made,  in  some  instances,  of 
strong  tow  cloth.  Josiah  T.  Cummings,  born  1801,  has  now 
in  his  possession  the  knapsack  used  by  his  father,  Capt.  Josiah 
Cummings,  during  the  Revolution.  The  ammunition  was 
stored  in  the  loft  of  the  meeting-house,  and  the  place  of 
rendezvous  for  the  minute-men  was  at  the  house  of  Asa 
Kendall,  which  was  subsequently  owned  by  Dr.  Adonijah  W. 
Howe. 

The  above  list  of  names,  in  the  handwriting  of  Capt.  Oliver 
Cummings,  is  without  date,  and  may  have  been  written  at 
about  this  period  of  the  war,  as  the  following  list,  on  the  back 
of  which  is  inscribed,  "Dunstable  June  the  2$th,  1776,  Joel 
Parkhurst  to  goodness  &  marcy,"  would  seem  to  indicate. 

LIST  OF  Y»  TRAINING    BAND.    DUNSTABLE.  JUNE  25,  1776. 

Servants 

ASA  KENDALL.  AMAZIAH  SWALLOW. 

EBENEZER  FRENCH. 

Corporals. 

ABEL  SPAULDING.        JONAS  TAYLOR. 
SIMEON  CUMINGS.        JONAS  BUTTERFIELD. 


u8 


HISTORY  OF  D UNSTABLE. 


[I776 


Drummer, 
JOSEPH  SPAULDING. 

Fifer. 
OLIVER  CUMINGS,  Jr. 


EBENEZER  BUTTERFIELD,  Jr. 
JESSE  BUTTERFIELD. 
JOHN  BLODGKTT. 
ZEBULON  BLODGETT. 
PHILIP  BUTTERFIELD. 
ELIPHALET  BALEY. 
JOHN  CUMINGS. 
JAMES  CUMINGS. 
ROBERT  DUNN. 
JESSE  BUTTON. 
JOSIAH  DANFORTH. 
DANIEL  EMERSON. 
THOMAS  FLETCHER. 
JOSEPH  FLETCHER,  Jr. 
PHINEHAS  FLETCHER. 
AARON  FARMER. 
MOSES  HARDE. 
BENJ.  JAQUITH. 
JACOB  KENDALL. 


ABRAHAM  KENDALL,  Jr. 
ZEBEDEE  KENDALL. 
JOHN  MARSH. 
JOHN  PROCTOR. 
JONATHAN  PROCTOR. 
GERSHAM  PROCTOR. 
JOHN  PERHAM. 
JOSEPH  PARKHURST,  Jr. 
TIMOTHY  READ,  Jr. 
ELIJAH  ROBINS. 
ELEAZER  READ. 
BENJ.  SWALLOW. 
PETER  SWALLOW. 
LEMUEL  SCOTT. 
OLIVER  TAYLOR. 
ISAAC  TAYLOR. 
SAML.  TAYLOR,  Jr. 
JONA.  WOODWARD. 


The  names  that  follow  are  inserted  and  erased  :  — 


SAMUEL  BUTTERFIELD. 
MOSES  CHANDLER. 
EDWARD  DUNN. 
EDWARD  DUNN,  Jr. 
JONATHAN  EMERSON. 
JONATHAN  FRENCH. 

C.  LEONARD  BUTTERFIELD. 
Lt.  JOSEPH  DANFORTH. 

D.  JOSEPH  FLETCHER. 
MR.  JOSIAH  GOODHUE. 
ADFORD  JAQUITH  [erased]. 
ABRAHAM  KENDALL. 
JOHN  KENDALL. 

Lt.  LEMUEL  PERHAM. 
JOSEPH  PARKHURST. 

Lt.  SAMUEL  BROWN. 
WILLIAM  FRENCH. 
JONAS  FRENCH. 
JONATHAN  FRENCH. 
SAMUEL  FRENCH. 


OLIVER  GREEN. 
SAML.  FRENCH,  Jr. 
EDWARD  KENDALL. 
BENJ.  PIKE,  Jr. 
BENJ.  WOODWARD. 

The  Alarm  List. 

BENJ.  PIKE. 
TIMOTHY  READ. 
DAVID  TAYLOR. 
BENJ.  WOODWARD. 
EDWARD  KENDALL. 
EDWARD  DUNN. 
JACOB  KENDALL. 
BENJ.  SWALLOW. 

In  the  Army. 

ENOCH  JEWETT. 
BENJAMIN  TAYLOR. 
ABRAHAM  TAYLOR. 
JOHN  BROWN. 


1776]  LETTERS  FROM    THE  ARMY. 

At  a  meeting  of  citizens  of  the  town,  June  8,  1776,  Major 
Ebenezer  Bancroft,  Capt.  Reuben  Butterfield,  and  Mr.  Timo- 
thy Read  were  chosen  "  a  committee  to  prepare  ye  Draft  of  a 
vote,"  which  is  as  follows  :  — 

"  At  a  time  when  ye  most  Important  Questions  that  ever  were  agitated 
before  ye  representative  body  of  this  Colony  touching  its  liberties  &  priv- 
eleges  will  demand  your  attention  as  we  your  constituents  are  called  upon 
to  instruct  you  in  a  very  important  point  of  duty  you  may  be  called  to  act 
upon  viz  of  ye  Colony  being  declared  to  be  independent  of  Grate  Britton. 
When  we  reflect  upon  ye  state  of  America  when  our  forefathers  first  came 
over  &  ye  cause  for  which  they  came  &  the  treatment  of  Grate  Brittan 
towards  us  ever  since,  but  especially  of  late  when  our  most  humble  peti- 
tions to  ye  king  of  Grate  Brittan  for  our  just  rights  repeatedly  rejected 
with  disdain  &  fier  and  sword  taking  place  upon  our  brethren  of  this  land. 
He  and  his  parliament  not  only  deceiving  ye  people  of  Grate  Brittan  at- 
tempting to  hire  ye  natives  of  this  land  to  butcher  us  &  for  what  we  know 
hath  hired  all  ye  covetous  blood  thirsty  souls  upon  ye  face  of  ye  whole  earth 
to  come  against  us  in  order  to  rob  us  of  life  and  fortune  ye  contemplation  of 
which  fills  our  brests  with  abhorrence  and  disdain  against  ye  power  that 
is  thus  acting.  We  then  will  join  with  our  brethren  of  America  in  pur- 
suing such  measures  as  the  honorable  the  Continental  Congress  shall 
adopt  if  it  is  that  of  Independence  of  Grate  Brittan  &  will  risk  life  and 
fortune  in  ye  cause  if  called  to  it,  we  then  sir  expect  you  will  equip  your- 
self .as  a  member  of  society  &  will  use  your  utmost  endeavours  in  pro- 
moting ye  cause  of  America  not  in  ye  least  doubting  your  abilities. 

"  Ye  above  being  red  to  ye  town  ye  question  being  put  whether  ye  same 
be  given  as  above  to  ye  present  representative  of  this  town  passed  in  the 
affirmative  nem.  con. 

"  JOSFAH  BLODGETT,  JR. 

Town  Clerk:' 

It  was  the  reception  of  such  plain,  but  spirited  resolutions 
from  the  various  towns  of  the  province  that  gave  the  leaders 
of  the  Revolution  courage  to  make  the  celebrated  Declaration 
of  Independence  which  soon  followed. 

In  October  ensuing  the  town  agree  to  accept  "  such  a  Con- 
stitution as  the  House  &  Council  of  this  Massachusetts  Bay 
would  organize." 

In  the  mean  time,  the  brave  soldiers  of  Dunstable  were 
carrying  out  the  spirit  of  the  municipal  resolutions  by  active 
service  in  the  field.  The  following  letters  frofn  James  Cum- 
mings,  son  of  the  gallant  Capt.  Oliver  Cummings,  exhibit  the 


I2O  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

feelings  of  the  soldiers  at  the  post  of  duty.  It  must  be  borne 
in  mind  that  the  town,  as  yet,  had  enjoyed  only  the  advantage 
of  a  "  moveing  school,"  and  that  unremitting  toil  had  been  the 
lot  of  most  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town. 

TlCONDEROGA,  Aug.  l6,   1776. 

Hon'd  Parents  these  Lines  may  inform  you  that  I  am  well  thro'  the 
Goodness  of  God  &  hope  you  enjoy  the  same  favor.  We  arriv'd  here 
yesterday  from  Skeinsborough  which  is  28  miles  up  the  Lake.  Our  men 
are  all  in  good  health  &  high  Spirits  and  row'd  down  in  6  hours  landed  the 
opposite  side  of  the  Lake  to  Ticonderoga  but  expect  to  go  over  as  soon  as 
the  Tents  come  No  more  at  present  So  after  my  duty  to  you  &  Love 
to  my  Brothers  and  Sister  I  conclude  begging  Leave  to  subscribe  My- 
self your  Dutiful  Son 

JAMES  CUMINGS. 

TICONDEROGA,  Oct.  15,  1776. 

Honored  farther  &  mother  after  my  Dutey  To  you  &  Love  to  my  Brothers 
and  Sister  I  have  Taken  this  oppertunity  to  Let  you  now  that  I  am  Well 
at  present  and  Blessed  be  god  for  it  &  hope  these  Linds  will  find  you  the 
Sam  I  shant  Rite  much  at  present  only  the  Raglars  have  drove  Our  flet 
Back  hear  we  have  sustaned  Lors  of  Men  &  Vessels  &  the  Enmis  armey 
is  at  Crown  point  or  near  their  &  we  expect  them  hear  Quick.  Phillip 
Butterfield  is  got  Better  Jeass  Butterfield  Is  pooley  yet  Rember  me  to 
all  Inquirin  friends  So  I  Remain  your  Dutiful  Son 

JAMES  CUMMINGS. 

Col.  Benedict  Arnold  was  in  command  of  flotillas  on  Lake 
Champlain  this  summer  and  autumn,  and  had  two  disastrous 
engagements  (Oct.  n  and  13)  with  the  enemy,  but  he  suc- 
ceeded in  preventing  a  union  between  the  British  forces  in 
Canada  and  those  in  New  York,  which  was  the  design  of  his 
expedition.  His  loss  in  both  these  engagements  was  about 
ninety  men.  It  is  to  these  losses  that  James  Cummings 
refers. 

The  officers  of  the  first  precinct  (now  Tyngsborough)  for 
this  year  were  Ebenezer  Bancroft,  Capt.  Reuben  Butterfield, 
and  Lieut.  Nathaniel  Holden,  committee  and  assessors,  Lieut. 
Nathaniel  Holden,  treasurer,  Reuben  Lewis,  collector,  and 
Ebenezer  Bancroft,  clerk. 

A  warrant  in  the  handwriting  of  Capt.  Oliver  Cummings 
runs  verbatim,  literatim ,  et  punctatim  in  the  following  style  :  — 


1777]  WAR-MEETINGS.  I2I 

Middlesex,  ss.  To  Jonas  Buterfeld  Corpril  By  The  athority  under 
which  we  hold  you  are  required  forthwith  to  notifie  all  the  Training  Band 
Soldiers  of  my  Company  to  gether  with  the  allarum  List  to  meet  at  the 
house  of  Mr.  Ase  Kendalls  on  Wednesday  The  Eighteenth  Instant  at 
Two  of  the  Clock  Precisly  in  the  after  Noon  of  Said  Day  that  is  all  That 
Live  to  the  Est  of  Salmon  Brook  of  Sd  Company  with  armes  Complet  it 
being  on  a  Special  ocasion,  or  an  alaram  hereof  fail  not  &  mack  Due 
Return  to  me  on  Said  Training  given  under  my  hand  this  Seventeenth 
Day  of  September  1776 

OLIVER  CUMMINGS  Capt. 

This  "  special  ocasion,  or  alaram,"  arose  from  the  news, 
which  at  that  period  travelled  very  slowly,  of  the  defeat  of  the 
Americans,  August  27,  in  the  battle  of  Long  Island,  which,  to 
Washington,  was  one  of  the  most  disheartening  of  the  war. 

Another  warrant  soon  followed,  and  the  people  in  those  dark 
days  had  but  little  time  to  rest,  or  but  little  to  think  or  talk 
about  save  the  encounters  with  the  redcoats,  and  the  progress 
of  the  war. 

MIDLX  ss  To  SIMEON  CUMINGS  Corporil  By  the  Authority  under 
which  we  hold  you  are  Required  forthwith  to  notify  all  ye  Traning  Band 
Soldiers  of  my  Company  Together  with  ye  allarm  List  to  meet  with  arms 
at  the  House  of  Mr  Asa  Kendalls  on  Satterday  ye  3Oth  of  this  Novr 
Instant  at  one  of  ye  Clock  in  the  after  Noon  of  Sd  Day  Viz  All  that  Live 
to  ye  West  of  Salmon  Brook  It  being  by  a  Special  order  of  ye  Cort.  Hereof 
Fail  not  &  make  Due  Return  to  me  on  or  before  Said  Traning  Given 
under  my  hand  this  28th  Day  of  Novr  A  D  1776. 

OLIVER  CUMINGS  Capt. 

MIDLX  ss  DUNSTABLE  3oth  Novr  1776  I  have  Notified  all  ye  Tran- 
ing Band  Soldiers  With  ye  Alarm  List  To  meet  at  Time  &  place  as  within 
mentioned. 

SIMEON  CUMINGS. 

Feb.  17,  1777,  the  town  chose  Ebenezer  Bancroft  and 
Abraham  Kendall  selectmen  and  assessors  in  place  of 
"  Capt.  Reuben  Butterfield  and  Lieut.  Joel  Parkhurst  absent 
in  ye  army."  It  also  chose,  this  year,  Ebenezer  Bancroft 
representative  to  the  General  Court. 

The  town  was  prompt  to  respond  to  the  repeated  calls  for 
men  and  money,  and  meetings  were  very  frequently  held, 
either  at  the  "  alarm  post "  or  at  the  tavern,  or  at  the  church,  to 


122  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l777 

adopt  measures  for  doing  its  part  in  carrying  on  the  war. 
Several  of  the  Dunstable  soldiers  served  in  companies  of  other 
towns,  and  some  from  other  places  joined  the  Dunstable  com- 
panies Lieut.  Richard  Welsh,  as  a  recruiting  officer,  hired 
eight  foreigners  to  serve  in  the  company  of  Capt.  Oliver  Cum- 
mings  during  the  war.  Their  names  are  given  as  follows:  — 

BENJAMIN  EVANS.  JOHN  HARTON. 

WILLIAM  BRIAN.  DAVID  OSMAN. 

JOHN  SILLY.  ISAAC  HITTEN. 

CHRISTOPHER  HIGBY.  JOHN  WALKER. 

The  return  is  dated  March  23,  1777. 

In  April  of  this  year  five  men  were  drafted  from  the  town, 
as  its  quota  of  the  three  hundred  soldiers  the  county  was 
called  upon  for  the  reenforcement  of  the  army.  The  warrant 
is  a  curious  document. 

ON  THE  COLONY  SARVICE. 

To  the  Captns  of  the  Companies  of  military  in  Dunstable  or  in  thar 
absens  To  the  Naxt  Oficer  in  the  Company  you  are  Required  forth  with 
to  Inlist  or  Draft  from  your  Companeys  Five  abel  Bodid  efective  meen 
which  is  your  Part  of  Three  hundred  and  Five  meen  out  of  County  to 
Renfors  the  armey  of  Rodiland  and  mack  Return  of  the  Names  of  the 
men  so  in  Listed  or  Drafted  Emedait  ly  as  the  Bisnis  admits  of  No 
Delay. 

Aprel  the  29  1777.  N.  B.  the  above  Said  men  ar  To  be  Detained  in 
Camp  if  Needed  Two  month  and  no  Longer. 

The  names  of  those  who  enlisted  or  were  drafted  at  this 
time  I  do  not  find  on  the  town  records,  but  on  the  back  side 
of  a  letter  from  William  Kendall  to  Capt.  Oliver  Cummings, 
dated  New  Ipswich,  June  3,  1777,  the  subjoined  lists  appear 
in  the  handwriting  of  the  latter :  — 

Drafted  for  the  First  Time. 

JONATHAN  FLETCHER.  JOSEPH  PARKHURST 

SAMUEL  TAYLOR.  JONATHAN  PROCTOR. 

BENJAMIN  JAQUITH.  SAMUEL  BUTTERFIELD. 

JAMES  PERHAM.  EDWARD  KENDALL. 

Drafted  for  the  Second  Time. 
D.  FLETCHER.  OLIVER  CUMMINGS. 


1777]  TORIES.  12$ 

Drafted  for  the  Thitd  Time. 

JACOB  KENDALL.  ABRAHAM  KENDALL 

TEMPLE  KENDALL.  LEONARD  BUTTERFIELD. 

In  April  the  British  troops  to  the  number  of  about  2,000 
entered  Connecticut,  burned  the  town  of  Danbury  and  mal- 
treated the  inhabitants.  Demonstrations  were  also  made  in 
Rhode  Island  by  the  enemy,  and  a  bounty  of  £20,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  £20  and  a  tract  of  land  offered  by  Congress,  was 
promised  by  the  State  to  every  soldier  who  should  enlist.  The 
company  of  Capt.  Oliver  Cummings  was  thereupon  called  to- 
gether for  this  purpose  in  May,  by  the  following  warrant  in  the 
handwriting  of  the  commander  :  — 

MIDLX  ss.  To  ABEL  SPALDING  Corprel  you  are  hereby  in  the  Name  of 
the  Government  and  People  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  in  Newingland  froth 
With  to  Notify  all  the  Traning  Band  Soldiers  to  Gether  With  the  alaram 
List  That  thay  meet  at  the  Meeting  Hous  in  the  Second  Parish  in  Dun- 
stable  on  thursday  the  I5th  day  of  this  may  instant  at  one  of  the  Clock  in 
the  after  noon  of  said  Day  With  arms  Cumpleet  all  that  Lives  to  the  West 
of  Salmon  Brook  in  Sd  Parish  it  being  a  Speashul  order  of  Cort  Hereof 
Fail  Not  &  make  Due  Return  to  me  on  or  Before  Said  Training. 

Given  this  10  Day  of  may  A  D  1777 

OLIVER  CUMINGS  Capt. 

Another  warrant  from  the  same  hand  soon  followed  :  — 

MIDLX  ss  DUNSTABLE  July  ye  23  1777.  To  Corporil  Simeon  Cumings 
In  ye  Name  of  ye  Government  &  people  of  this  State  you  are  Required 
forthwith  To  warn  all  ye  Soldiers  Belonging  to  ye  Traning  band  in  my 
Company  Living  on  the  west  Side  of  Salmon  Brook  that  they  meet  at  ye 
alarm  post  To  morrow  viz  ye  24  Instant  at  4  of  the  Clock  in  ye  afternoon 
with  arms  and  other  Equipments  complect  according  To  Law  In  order 
Viewing  &c 

OLIVER  CUMINGS,  Capt. 

On  the  back  of  the  paper  is  written  :  — 

MIDDLESEX  SS.  pursuant  to  the  with  in  Warrant  I  have  warned  the 
Solgars  belonging  to  the  traning  band  to  meat  at  time  and  place  with  in 
menchoned 

SIMEON  COMINGS. 

4     It  seems  that  in  Dunstable,  as  well  as  in  other  towns,  there 
were  some  persons  holding  Tory  principles,  and  that  the  town 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

was  prompt  to  bring  them  to  an  account  for  their  opposition 
to  the  common  cause.  At  a  public  meeting  held  Sept.  u, 
1777,  Lieut.  Nathaniel  Holden  was  chosen  "to  procure  and  lay 
before  ye  court  yc  evidence  yl  might  be  had  of  ye  Enimical 
disposition  of  any  of  this  town  that  may  be  complained  of 
that  they  may  be  proceeded  with  agreeable  to  an  act  of  this 
state." 

A  warrant  from  Col.  Simeon  Spaulding  to  Capt.  Oliver 
Cummings  for  three  men  from  his  company  is  here  given  :  — 

CHELMSFORD,  February  pth,  1778. 

Sir  In  Consequence  of  another  order  from  Council  you  are  Hereby 
directed  to  Detach  by  List  or  Draft  three  men  from  your  Company  to 
march  to  Boston  to  Reinforce  the  guards  then  and  there  to  Receive  and 
follow  such  orders  as  Major  Genl  Heath  from  time  to  time  shall  se  cause 
to  give  them  to  tarry  for  the  time  of  three  months  unless  sooner  dis- 
charged, they  being  the  same  number  you  was  ordered  to  Raise  in  the 
orders  of  January  28  and  any  man  so  detached  and  ordered  to  march  as 
aforesaid  and  shall  Neglect  or  Refuse  so  to  do  or  shall  not  Procure  some 
able  Bodied  Effective  man  In  his  room  to  the  acceptance  of  his  Officer  or 
ye  fine  of  ten  Pounds  in  Twenty  four  Hours  after  he  shall  be  Detached 
or  ordered  as  aforesaid  shall  be  considered  as  a  soldier  in  s'd  Detach- 
ment and  Treated  accordingly,  and  the  men  to  draw  the  same  pay  that  the 
guards  in  and  about  Camebridge  Draw  and  you  are  Hereby  Directed  to 
make  Return  of  the  men  to  me  Immediately  as  the  Situation  of  affairs 
admit  of  No  Delay  from  your  Humble  servt 

SIMEON  SPAULDING  Coll0. 

To  Capt.  OLIVER  CUMINGS  Dunstable. 

I  find  among  the  loose  papers  of  Capt.  Cummings  this  note, 
interesting  for  its  orthography,  if  nothing  more :  — 

To  Capt  Jonathan  Stikney  Sr  one  mane  Slipt  my  memery  which  Should 
have  been  in  my  Retorn  viz  Jotham  Barron  of  Dracutt  that  inlisted  with 
Capt  Fox  In  Cornl  henleys  Rigment  and  hired  by  my  Compney  as  will 
aper  by  Ritings  and  if  you  think  it  Proper  Pies  to  Enter  Him  one  that 
Reton  and  you  will  oblige  your  huml  servent 

OLIVER  CUMINGS 

DUNSTABLE  Febery  iSth  1778. 

It  appears  from  a  paper  of  Capt.  Cummings  that  the  follow- 
ing men  were  hired  and  paid  by  the  Second  Parish  of 
stable,  for  a  term  of  service  in  1777  and  1778  :  — 


1778]  ROLL   OF  CAPT.    CVMMSWGS'S  COMPANY.  i2$ 

AMOS  TAYLOR,  of  Dunstable,  Capt  Abraham  Watson's  company ; 
WM.  DAVIS,  Dunstable,  of  Capt  Bullard's  company ;  and  paid  by 
TIMOTHY  READ.  ^15.  JOHN  PROCTOR  &  OLIVER  CUMMINGS,  Jr.  of 
Dunstable  enlisted  for  8  months  from  the  3d  day  of  September.  JONA- 
THAN FRENCH  enlisted  Feb.  16,  1778.  JONAS  WHITING,  SIMEON 
STEVENS,  ISAAC  STEARNS  &  JOSIAH  WRIGHT,  of  Billerica,  enlisted  in 
the  company  of  Capt  Fox  ;  SAMUEL  PARKER  of  Pepperell  enlisted  in 
Capt  Brown's  company  and  was  paid  ^36,  and  JONATHAN  DICKENSON 
of  Charlestown  enlisted  in  Capt  Pettingell's  company  and  was  paid  ^34, 
by  JOEL  PARKHURST. 

I  find  the  following  list  of  men  in  the  Dunstable  company 
about  this  time,  as  given  in  the  handwritting  of  Capt.  Oliver 
Cummings :  — 

MUSTER  ROLL  OF  CAPT.  OLIVER  CUMMINGS. 

Sergeants. 
AMAZIAH  SWALLOW.  JONA  FLETCHER. 

Corforals. 

ABEL  SPAULDING.  JONAS  TAYLOR. 

SIMEON  CUMING.  JONAS  BUTTERFIELD. 

Drummer. 
JOSEPH  SPAULDING. 

Fifer. 
OLIVER  CUMINGS,  Jr. 

EBEN  BUTTERFIELD,  Jr.  BENJ.  SWALLOW. 

JESSE  BUTTERFIELD.  ISAAC  TAYLOR. 

PHILIP  BUTTERFIELD.  SAML.  TAYLOR,  Jr. 

JOHN  BLODGET.  OLIVER  TAYLOR. 

ZEBULON  BLODGET.  JONA  WOODWARD. 

ELIPHALET  BALEY.  ISAAC  WRIGHT. 

JACOB  BALDWIN.  SOLOMON  SARTLE. 

JOHN  CUMINGS.  JONA  TENNY. 

JAMES  CUMINGS.  ZEBEDEE  KENDALL. 

JESSE  BUTTON.  EBENR.  PARKHURST. 

JOSIAH  DAN  FORTH.  EDWARD  DUNN. 

ROBERT  DUNN.  WM.  FRENCH. 

PHINEHAS  FLETCHER.  JAMES  PIKE. 

SAML.  FRENCH.  ISAAC  KENDALL. 

JONA  FRENCH.  OLIVER  TENNY. 

JONAS  FRENCH.  LEONARD  BUTTERFIELD. 

MOSES  HARDF,  JOSEPH  DANFORTH. 

BENJ.  JAQUITH.  SAML.  BROWN. 


126  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

JACOB  KENDALL.  JOHN  KENDALL. 

AARON  FARMER.  I'.I.NJ.  PIKE. 

JOHN  MARSH.  LENJ.  WOODWARD. 

JOHN  PERHAM.  EDWARD  KENDALL. 

JOSEPH  PARKHURST,  Jr.  DAVID  TAYLOR. 

JOHN  PROCTOR.  TIMOTHY  READ. 

JONA  PROCTOR.  LEMUEL  PERHAM. 

GERSHOM  PROCTOR.  JOSEPH  PARKHURST. 

BENJ.  PIKE,  Jr.  TIMOTHY  READ,  Jr. 

ELEAZER  READ.  PARROT  TENNY. 

ELIJAH  KOBBINS.  JOHN  CHENY. 

PETER  SWALLOW.  EBENR.  STAR. 

The  Second  Parish  appears  to  have  assumed  most  of  the 
burden  of  the  war,  and  was  indeed  in  many  respects,  through 
that  dark  period,  the  town  of  Dunstable  itself. 

In  consequence  of  the  heavy  assessments  for  the  payment  of 
the  arrearages  to  Mr.  Goodhue,  it  voted,  March  6,  1775,  "  Not 
to  Raise  any  money  for  ye  Seport  of  the  gospel "  ;  but  in 
February  of  the  following  year,  its  decision  was  "  to  Rase 
twenty  Pounds  "  for  that  purpose.  The  same  sum  was  also 
assessed  to  "  hire  preching"  in  1777.  The  First  Parish  "voted 
to  pay  the  soldiers  for  8  months  service  in  the  war  at  Cam- 
bridge ^8.  o.  o.  To  each  man  that  performed  it  belonging 
to  the  parish. 

"For  12  months  at  Cambridge  or  Dorchester      .        .^200 

"  12  month        York 1800 

"  5       "  Ticonderoga 12  o  o 

"  2       "  Rhode  Island        .        .        .        .         500" 

On  July  3d  of  that  year  the  Second  Parish  chose  Jacob 
Kendall,  Abraham  Kendall,  and  James  Taylor  "  to  borrow  such 
sumes  of  money  as  the  officers  and  committee  shall  call  for  to 
hire  Soldiers  to  Inlist  into  the  Contanentel  Army."  On  the 
29th  of  December  it  chose  Jonathan  Fletcher,  Temple  Ken- 
dall, Joel  Parkhurst,  Benjamin  Woodward,  and  Amaziah  Swal- 
low "  to  Report  att  the  Next  Adjournment  of  this  meeting 
Respecting  the  Cost  that  hath  arisen  in  Said  Parish  By  carre- 
ing  on  the  present  war  with  Great  Britton." 

The  report  of  this  committee,  made  on  the  fifth  day  of 
January,  1778,  exhibits  the  remarkable  sacrifices  which  the 


I7/8J  PAYMENTS*  TO  SOLDIERS.  i2f 

patriots  underwent  in  those  trying  times  to  sustain  the  cause 
of  liberty  :  — 

"  Whareas  Wee  Being  a  Commite  Chosen  By  the  Second  Parish 
.  .  .  to  mak  and  Lay  befor  the  Parish  .  .  .  the  Expense  said 
Parish  hath  been  att  in  going  and  hiring  men  into  the  Army  since  the 
Present  War  With  Create  Brittion  att  an  allowance  for  each  Tower  of 
Sarvice  as  wee  should  Judge  wright  according  to  appointment  we  have 
attended  that  Sarvice  &  Report  as  followeth  viz  :  — 


For  each  turn  to  Cambrig  8  months  thire  be  an 

allowance  of    .......       4  10  o 

2  months  to  Roxburey  or  Cambrig  in  winter  .         .       200 
12  months  to  York  in  Person          .         .         .         .1500 

3  months  to  Dorchester          .         .         .         .  2  10  o 
5  months  to  Ticonderoga        .....     1200 

2  months  to  York  ......         .900 

3  months  to  Jerses          ......     1200 

2  months  to  Rhod  Island        .         .         .         .  4  10  o 

3  months  to  the  Lake     ......     1500 

8  months  to  Pheledelpeh         .....     20    o  o 

i  month  to  Stillwater      ......       500 

and  all  Times  and  money  otherways  Delivered  to  Capten  Oliver  Comings 
and  was  Laid  out  for  hiring  men  into  the  army  for  the  four  months  Sar- 
vice to  Tye  [Ticonderoga]  three  months  to  the  Jerses  or  the  three  years 
Sarvice  be  allowed  to  the  Persons  that  Payed  the  Same  and  as  to  those 
that  mad  a  Consideration  to  som  men  that  Inlisted  into  the  twelve  months 
Sarvice  have  an  allowanc  of  four  pounds  ten  shillings  each. 

"  Agreeable  to  the  foregoing,  Each  mans  Credite  is  as  follows  :  — 

£  *  d 

EBENEZER  BUTTERFIELD      .....  600 

JOSIAH  BLODGETT          ......  600 

JOSIAH  BLODGETT,  Juner       .....  300 

EBENEZER  BUTTERFIELD,  Juner   .        .        .        .  9100 

SAMUEL  BUTTERFIELD          .....  10    o  o 

LEONARD  BUTTERFIELD        .....  14  10  o 

JONAS  BUTTERFIELD     .        .        .        .        .  6  15  o 

SAMUEL  BROWN    .......  19  10  o 

ELIPHALET  BAYLEY      ......  4  10  o 

ZEBULON  BLODGETT      ......  7  15  o 

JESSE  BUTTERFIELD      ......  1  1    o  o 

OLIVER  COMINGS  .......  43    5  o 

SIMEON  COMINGS  .                ...                .  16    r  8 


12 


HISTORY  OF  l)UNSTABLE. 


[I77« 


JOHN  COMINGS 
JOHN  CHEANE 
JOSEPH  DANFORTH 
ROBERT  DUNN 
JESSE  DUTTON 
JOSEPH  FLETCHER 
THOMAS  FLETCHER 
JONATHAN  FLETCHER 
EBENEZER  FRENCH 
WILLIAM  FRENCH 
SAMUEL  FRENCH  . 
JONATHAN  FRENCH 
MOSES  HARDY 
ADFORD  JAQUITH  . 
BENJ.  JAQUITH 
ABRAHAM  KENDALL 
JOHN  KENDALL 
JACOB  KENDALL   . 
TEMPEL  KENDALL 
EDWARD  KENDALL 
ZEBEDEE  KENDALL 
JOHN  MARSH 
LEMUEL  PERHAM 
JOSEPH  PARKHURST 
JOEL  PARKHURST  . 
BENJ.  PIKE    . 
JOHN  PROCTOR 
GERSHOM  PROCTOR 
TIMOTHY  READ 
TIMOTHY  READ,  Juner 
ELIJAH  ROBINS 
ELEAZER  READ     . 
AMAZIAH  SWALLOW 
BENJ.  SWALLOW    . 
PETER  SWALLOW  . 
EBENEZER  STARR 
ABEL  SPAULDING  . 
JOSEPH  SPAULDING 
SAMUEL  TAYLOR  . 
DAVID  TAYLOR 
JONAS  TAYLOR 
OLIVER  TAYLOR    . 
ISAAC  TAYLOR 


£  *<* 

21  00 
1200 

22  O  O 

7  10  o 
4  10  o 

18  10  o 
650 

16  10  o 

4  10  o 

19  10  o 

19  10  o 

12     O  O 
1000 

650 

IO     O  O 

1800 

10  IO  O 

1600 

2100 

2  50 
9150 

11  10  O 

800 

20  O  O 
I6OO 

16  15  o 

22  10  O 

11  IOO 

3  68 

1200 

3  15° 
15    o  o 

12  15  O 
300 

ii     i  8 

5  co 
7100 

8  80 

22  O  O 
2100 

7    70 

6OO 

6  10  o 


1778]  THREE  SOLDIERS  DROWNED. 

£    '   d 

PERROT  TINNEY 11  15  o 

JAMES  TARBOX 4100 

JONAS  FRENCH 19  10  o 

BENJ.  WOODWARD 9  15  o 

JONATHAN  WOODWARD 880 

ISAAC  WRIGHT 9  10  o 

JAMES  PERHAM 10    o  o 

JAMES  PIKE 14    o  o 

SOLOMON  SARTEL 3150 

Sum  tottel  911    oo 

And  as  to  the  Six  months  to  Rhod  Island  and  two  turns  to  Roxburey 
Left  to  the  Parish  altogether. 

the  above  Report  being  Red  Voted  and  allowed  the  above  said  Report, 
Voted  and  Granted  to  be  assesed  the  sum  of  Nine  hundred  and  twenty- 
four  Pounds  Six  Shilling  and  Eight  Pence  for  the  Cost  and  Charg  Aresen 
in  said  Parish  by  Carreing  on  the  Preset  War  with  Great  Brittion 

BENJA  WOODWARD  Clerk  " 

On  the  22cl  of  March,  1778,  the  church  in  Groton  contrib- 
uted "  to  Daniel  Gilson  of  Dunstable  on  account  of  having  lost 
his  house  by  fire  ^32  15^.  lod.  one  pair  of  shoes,  one  bushel 
of  rye  and  one  bushel  of  Indian  corn."* 

The  following  Revolutionary  soldiers  belonged  to  that  part 
of  Dunstable  which  subsquently  became  the  town  of  Tyngs- 
borough  :  Col.  Ebenezer  Bancroft,  Sergt.  Jonathan  Bancroft, 
Capt.  Reuben  Butterfield,  Capt.  Nathaniel  Holden,  Capt.  Jon- 
athan Fletcher,  Eleazer  Farwell,  Nathaniel  Ingalls,  Lieut.  John 
Farwell,  Levi  Butterfield,  Salathiel  Frost,  William  Perham, 
Robin  Skinner,  John  Merrill,  Daniel  Jaques,  Benjamin  Swan, 
Asa  Emerson,  Noah  M.  Gould,  and  Sergt.  Reuben  Butter- 
field,  Jr.,  who  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  White  Plains,  Oct.  7, 
1777,  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven  years.  It  is  related  that 
while  in  battle  he  jumped  upon  a  fence,  and  said,  "  I  '11  give 
them  one  firing  more  ! "  A  shot  from  the  enemy  immediately 
struck  him,  and  his  comrade,  Nathaniel  Ingalls,  of  Dunstable, 
saw  him  fall.  He  was  born  May  30,  1749,  and  was  engaged 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Dorcas  Coburn. 

Of  the  British  soldiers  quartered  on  Dunstable,  three  were 
drowned  while  attempting  to  cross  the  river  at  Wicasuck 
Island,  and  their  remains  were  buried  on  land  now  occupied 
by  Solomon  Spaulding. 

*  Butler's  History  of  Groton,  p.  260. 


130 


HISTORY  OF  DUNS  TABLE. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

VOTE  ON  THE  PROPOSED  STATE  CONSTITUTION.  —  PROPOSITION  TO  UNITE  THE 
Two  PARISHES.  —  BURDENS  OF  THE  SECOND  PARISH  ARISING  FROM  THE 
WAR.  —  SUMS  RAISED  TO  SUPPORT  THE  MINISTRY.  —  A  NEW  MEETING- 
HOUSE CONTKMPLATED.  —  THE  DARK  DAY.  —  POPULATION  OF  THE  TOWN. 

—  THE  NEW  STATE  CONSTITUTION.  —  MEN  AND  PROVISIONS  FURNISHED 
FOR  THE  ARMY.  —  NOTICES  OF  SOME  OF  THE  REVOLUTIONARY  SOLDIERS, 

—  SCHOOL  TEACHERS  VOTE  TO  REMOVE  THE  MEETING-HOUSE. —  SINGING 
IN  CHURCH.  —  VOTE  TO  UNITE  THE  PARISHES.  —  SCHOOLS  KEPT  IN  PRI- 
VATE HOUSES.  —  OVERSEERS  OF  THE  POOR  FIRST  CHOSEN  BY  THE  TOWN. 

—  SHAYS'S  REBELLION.  —  A  JOURNAL.  —  THE  LINE  BETWEEN  THE  TWO 
PARISHES  ABOLISHED.  —  THE  TOWN   ASSUMES    DIRECTION   OF  CHURCH 
AFFAIRS. 

"  IF  we  were  ever  envious,  it  was  of  the  farmer,  —  the  intelligent,  inde- 
pendent, and  happy  farmer,  who  owned  his  own  land  and  his  house  and 
his  barns  ;  who  was  free  from  debt,  and  whose  family  were  growing  up 
prosperously  around  him."  PORTLAND  PAPER. 

"  With  hearts  unbent  and  spirits  brave,  they  sternly  bore 

Such  toils  as  meaner  souls  had  quelled, 
But  souls  like  these,  such  toils  impelled  to  soar." 

JAMES  G.  PERCIVAL. 

ON  the  Qth  of  February,  1 778,  the  town,  at  a  legal  meeting, 
approved  of  the  Articles  of  Confederation  between  the  thirteen 
States  ;  and  at  another  meeting,  held  April  23,  chose  John 
Tyng,  Esq.,  Joseph  Danforth,  and  Joel  Parkhurst  to  examine 
the  new  Constitution  of  the  State,  proposed  by  the  General 
Court.  On  hearing  the  report  of  this  committee,  June  2,  the 
town  "  voted  to  reject  ye  Constitution  for  ye  following  reasons, 
viz  :  Because  it  invests  ye  governor  with  too  unlimited  a  power. 
2d  ly  because  there  is  not  an  Equal  Representation.  3  ly 
Because  ye  Governor  ought  not  to  have  ye  Title  of  Excellency. 
J.  Blodgett,  Town  Clerk." 


PATRIOTISM  OF  DUNSTABLE.  j^j 

This  Constitution  was  drawn  up  by  a  committee  of  four 
members  of  the  Council  and  twice  that  number  of  the  House 
of  Representatives.  It  was  submitted  to  the  people  of  the 
State  in  March,  1778,  and  by  them  rejected.  The  vote  stood 
10,000  against  2,000,  as  many  as  120  towns  not  voting.  The 
general  objections  to  it  were  that  it  did  not  contain  a  declara- 
tion of  rights,  that  it  made  representation  unequal,  and  that 
the  powers  and  duties  of  State  officers  were  not  accurately 
defined.* 

Three  school-teachers  were  paid  this  year,  as  follows  :  Welbe 
Butterfield,  for  keeping  school,  £4  i6s.,  Jonas  French,  ditto, 
£,2>  4-y.,  and  Abraham  Kendall,  Jr.,  ditto,  £10  13^.  <)d. 

The  Second  Parish  voted  this  year  £$o  for  "  the  Suport  of 
the  Gospel,"  and  also  £12  to  pay  for  preaching  the  preceding 
year ;  and  it  chose  a  committee  on  the  9th  of  May,  consisting 
of  Dr.  Ebenezer  Starr,  who  had  recently  settled  in  the  place, 
Jonathan  Fletcher,  Timothy  Read,  Joel  Parkhurst,  and  Joseph 
Danforth,  to  treat  with  a  committee  from  the  First  Parish, 
"  as  to  those  of  the  first  Parish  Living  on  the  West  Side  of 
the  Marimack  River  joyning  with  the  Second  Parish  in  Said 
Town  and  the  Separation  as  to  parishes  be  Disolved."  This 
was  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  union  of  the  two  religious 
societies. 

Paper-money  had  at  this  time  greatly  depreciated  in  value, 
taxes  were  high,  many  of  the  able-bodied  men  were  absent  in 
the  army,  and  the  American  cause  seemed,  in  the  minds  of 
many  thoughtful  people,  to  be  sinking  ;  yej  the  citizens  of  Dun- 
stable  still  went  resolutely  on  to  meet  the  demands  the  bleed- 
ing country  made  upon  them. 

There  was  a  large  British  force  at  Newport,  R.  I. ;  the  term 
of  service  of  many  of  the  Continental  soldiers  had  expired, 
and  two  thousand  men  were  now  called  for  to  fill  up  the  six- 
teen depleted  regiments  of  the  State.  Fifteen  hundred  more 
were  to  be  raised  as  ordered  by  vote  of  Congress.  This  draft 
fell  heavily  upon  Dunstable  ;  but,  true  to  the  cause  of  liberty, 
she  responded  nobly  to  the  call. 

*  See  Barry's  History  of  Massachusetts,  Vpl.  Ill,  p.  175. 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l?79 

A  levy  of  shirts,  shoes,  and  stockings  was  also  made  upon 
the  town  for  the  army  ;  and  since  the  women  manifested  as 
much  patriotic  fervor  as  the  men,  those  articles  were  promptly 
furnished. 

On  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  June  the  Second  Parish  chose 
Temple  Kendall,  Abraham  Kendall,  and  Jonathan  Fletcher  a 
committee  to  procure  the  soldiers  which  "  this  State  Now  Calls 
for  out  of  this  Parish."  The  record  of  the  last  meeting  of  the 
year,  Nov.  16,  held  first  at  the  meeting-house  and  then  at  the 
house  of  Mr.  Jonathan  Emerson,  reveals  something  of  the  bur- 
dens they  with  courageous  hearts  sustained. 

"Voted  to  allow  Mr  Tempel  Kendall  Jonathan  Woadward  and  John 
Perham  and  Jesse  Butterfield  thirty  pounds  Each  for  thire  Sarvice  att 
the  Seaige  of  Newport  att  Rhod  Island.  .£120. 

"  Voted  to  Allow  Mr.  Joseph  Fletcher  Leonard  Butterfield  Tempel  Ken- 
dall Elijah  Robins  Eliphalet  Bayley  Joseph  Parkhurst  juner  Josiah 
Blodgett  who  Did  Sarvice  on  the  Guards  att  Cambridge  five  Pounds  Per 
month  for  a  Bounty  from  the  Parish  £120.  o.  o. 

"Voted  to  allow  Mr  John  Cheny  Ebenezer  French  Philip  Butterfield 
Joseph  Parkhurst  juner  Joseph  Danforth  James  Coming  Lemuel  Per- 
ham Jonathan  Fletcher  Leonard  Butterfield  Nine  Pounds  Each  as  a 
Bounty  for  six  months  Sarvice  att  Rhod  Island  in  the  year  1777  ^81.  o.  o. 

"  Voted  to  Be  assesed  and  ordered  out  of  the  Treasury  forty  Pound  for 
the  Support  of  Samuel  Parkers  Famalie  .£40.  o.  o. 

"  Voted  to  Be  assesed  the  sum  of  Nine  hundred  thirty  seven  Pounds  four 
Shilling  for  Defraying  the  Charges  arisen  in  Said  Parish  for  Carreing  on 
the  Present  War  Against  Create  Brittion. 

"  BENJ  WOODWARD  Parish  Clerk  " 

• 

On  the  1 5th  of  February,  1779,  the  parish  voted  £100  "  for 
the  support  of  famalies  of  those  Persons  this  Parish  have  hired 
to  Engag  into  Contenental  Army." 

The  town  also  appropriated  this  year  ^130  for  public  schools 
and  other  expenses,  among  which  was  the  procuring  of  cloth- 
ing for  the  soldiers.  It  also  raised  ^134  Ss.  for  bounties  for 
four  soldiers  that  went  to  Rhode  Island  ;  also,  at  another 
meeting,  ^200  for  school  and  other  charges. 

The  General  Court  allowed  the  town,  Sept.  14,  a  bounty  of 
^90  for  three  men  in  the  nine  months'  service,  and  also  re- 


1780]  THE  DARK  DAY.  133 

mitted,  for  what  cause  it  is  not  stated,  a  fine  of  ^300  against 
the  town.* 

Notwithstanding  the  expenses  of  the  war,  the  people  reso- 
lutely sustained  the  institutions  of  the  gospel.  For  about  six 
years  the  pulpit  had  been  supplied  by  such  ministers  as  they 
were  able  to  find  and  had  the  means  to  pay,  and  now,  in  hope 
of  having  a  pastor  of  their  own,  they  discussed  the  question 
of  uniting  with  the  other  parish  in  building  a  church  and 
settling  permanently  a  minister.  On  the  6th  of  March,  1780, 
the  town  chose  John  Tyng  moderator  of  the  annual  meet- 
ing, and  Joel  Parkhurst  town  clerk.  It  appropriated  ^500  for 
educational  and  other  purposes. 

On  the  23d  of  March  the  Second  Parish  agreed  "  to  Raise 
five  Hundred  Pounds  for  the  Support  of  such  minister  or 
ministers  of  the  gospel  as  may  be  caul'd  to  Preach  to  this 
People."  At  an  adjourned  meeting,  held  March  31,  the  above- 
named  sum  was  increased  by  ^500.  Joseph  Parkhurst,  Benja- 
min Woodward,  and  Temple  Kendall  were  chosen  a  committee 
to  "  higher "  a  minister,  and  this  was  to  be  done  under  the 
following  instruction,  given  probably  on  account  of  Presby- 
terian views  that  were  entertained  by  a  few  of  the  people  — 

"  We  Desire  you  that  you  Do  your  Endeavour  to  higher  such  Candidates 
to  Dispense  the  gospel  amongst  us  who  hold  to  the  New  England  Confes- 
sion of  Faith  and  the  Cambridge  Platform  as  therein  Exhibeted  to  us." 

Jonathan  Emerson  was  the  parish  clerk,  and  the  above 
record  is  in  his  handwriting. 

On  the  I  ith  of  May  the  Second  Parish  voted  to  confer  with 
members  of  the  First  Parish,  dwelling  on  the  westerly  side  of 
the  Merrimack  River,  as  to  the  erection  of  a  meeting-house 
on  the  road  between  the  house  of  Mr.  Elijah  Robbins  and  that 
formerly  occupied  by  Willard  Hall. 

The  i  Qth  of  May  of  this  year  is  celebrated  as  the  Dark  Day. 
As  an  old  rhy raster  said,  — 

"  In  1780.  the  nineteenth  day  of  May, 
Will  ever  be  remembered  as  being  the  Dark  Day." 

*  Mass.  Resolves,  Vol.  1 1 1  A,  p.  7 1 . 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

The  obscurity  was  so  great  that  birds  sought  their  perches  at 
mid-day,  and  the  people  had  to  light  candles  in  order  to  distin- 
guish objects  in  their  houses.  Many  superstitious  persons 
thought  the  day  of  doom  was  certainly  approaching. 

"About  ten  o'clock,"  wrote  Mr.  Phineas  Sprague,  of  Maiden, 
in  his  journal,  "  it  began  to  Rain  and  grew  vere  dark  and  at  12  it 
was  allmost  as  dark  as  Nite  so  that  wee  was  obliged  to  lite  our 
candels  and  Eate  our  dinner  by  candel  lite  at  Noonday."  ' 
The  darkness  of  the  evening  of  that  day  was  most  remarkable. 
"  I  could  not  help  conceiving  at  the  time,"  says  Dr.  Tenney, 
"  that  if  every  luminous  body  in  the  universe  had  been  shrouded 
in  impenetrable  shades,  or  struck  out  of  existence,  the  dark- 
ness could  not  have  been  more  complete.  A  sheet  of  white 
paper,  held  within  a  few  inches  of  the  eyes,  was  equally  invis- 
ible with  the  blackest  velvet." 

The  darkness  did  not  extend  so  as  to  attract  much  atten- 
tion south  of  New  York,  nor  far  out  at  sea.  It  might  possibly 
have  been  occasioned  by  the  burning  of  extensive  forests  in 
Northern  New  Hampshire,  the  smoke  of  which,  under  peculiar 
conditions  of  the  atmosphere,  might  have  floated  over  a  sec- 
tion of  New  England  and  obscured  the  sun.  Coming,  as  it 
did,  when  the  spirits  of  the  people  were  greatly  depressed 
in  consequence  of  the  war,  it  is  not  at  all  surprising  that  it 
caused  alarm.  It  was  far  more  common  to  attribute  unusual 
phenomena  to  supernatural  agency  in  those  days  than  — 
thanks  be  to  the  progress  of  science  —  it  is  at  the  present 
time.  The  belief  of  the  people  in  ghosts,  apparitions,  and 
haunted  houses  was  then  very  prevalent.  It  was  almost 
invariably  considered  ominous  to  see,  for  the  first  time,  the 
new  moon  over  the  left  shoulder,  to  spill  salt,  or  to  sit 
thirteen  at  the  table.  A  horseshoe  was  nailed  to  the  posts  of 
the  door  to  keep  off  witches,  and  the  ticking  of  a  death-watch, 
or  the  sight  of  a  white  spider  gliding  down  its  thread,  fore- 
boded evil.  Many  of  these  notions  came  from  England,  and 
they  linger  still  in  the  minds  of  some  uneducated  people.  The 
Bible,  interpreted  literally,  was  the  guide  book  of  our  fathers, 

*  Historical  Address,  p.  14,  by  Elbridge  H.  Goss,  Esq. 


1780] 


SUPPLIES  FOR    THE  ARMY. 


and  science,  which  sheds  light  upon  the  meaning  of  many  a 
dark  passage  in  Holy  Writ,  was  a  word  almost  unknown  to 
them.  The  spirit  of  the  heavenly  message  they,  however,  gen- 
erally caught. 

Another  State  Constitution  was  framed  this  year  by  dele- 
gates chosen  by  the  towns  of  the  Commonwealth,  and  sub- 
mitted, in  March,  to  the  people  for  their  examination. 

From  the  record  of  the  vote  of  Dunstable,  May  15,  it  ap- 
pears that  there  was  a  strong  opposition  to  the  instrument.  It 
was  mainly  against  granting  protection  to  all  religions,  against 
the  liberty  of  the  press,  against  so  great  a  number  of  council- 
lors and  senators,  against  the  power  of  the  governor  to  march 
the  militia  to  any  part  of  the  State,  against  the  appointment 
of  all  judicial  officers  by  the  governor,  against  the  governor 
and  other  officers  declaring  themselves  of  the  Christian  relig- 
ion, against  the  form  of  the  oath,  —  they  being  desirous  that 
the  words  "  living  God  "  should  be  included,  —  against  Quakers 
being  excused  from  taking  an  oath,  and  against  the  time  ap- 
pointed for  the  revision  of  the  Constitution. 

That  instrument  was,  however,  ratified  as  the  organic  law 
by  more  than  two  thirds  of  the  votes  of  the  State  ;  and  the 
Hon.  John  Hancock  was  the  first  governor  chosen  under  it. 
The  election  was  held  on  the  4th  of  September,  and  Dun- 
stable  gave  sixteen  votes  for  Hancock  and  three  for  James 
Bowdoin.  It  also  cast  thirteen  votes  for  Artemas  Ward,  one 
for  James  Bowdoin,  and  one  for  Jeremiah  Powell,  Esq.,  as 
lieutentant-governors.  It  moreover  gave  eleven  votes  for  John 
Tyng,  Esq.,  as  councillor.  The  small  vote  thrown  may  be 
attributed  perhaps  to  the  disaffection  of  the  people  in  respect 
to  the  new  Constitution,  and  to  the  absence  of  many  voters 
in  the  army. 

The  town  this  year  furnished  7,500  pounds  of  beef  which 
the  General  Court  called  for  to  supply  the  army,  and  voted  to 
raise  .£2,500  for  school  and  other  purposes.  Although  the 
surrender  of  the  army  of  Gen.  John  Burgoyne,  Oct.  7,  1777, 
may  be  considered  as  the  turning-point  of  the  war  in  favor 
of  the  Americans,  the  constant  reinforcement  and  strategic 
movements  of  the  British  forces  called  for  frequent  levies  of 


1 36  HISTOR Y  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [  1 780 

soldiers  on  our  part  and  a  heavy  drain  upon  the  people,  as  well 
as  upon  the  public  treasury,  for  supplies  and  bounties.  The 
debt  of  the  country  was  rated  at  $200,000,000  and  that  of 
Massachusetts  at  $5,000,000,  while  the  valuation  of  its  whole 
property  was  but  $11,000,000.  In  this  exigence  paper-money 
was  issued  to  such  an  extent  that  one  dollar  in  silver  came 
to  be  equal  to  forty  dollars  in  what  was  called  "  the  Con- 
tinental currency."  The  one-dollar  bill,  about  two  inches 
square,  had  on  its  face  the  Latin  words,  "  Depressa  resurgit," 
which  is  in  English,  "  The  down-trodden  rises,"  and  which  had, 
at  that  time,  much  significance ;  but  so  great  was  the  depre- 
ciation in  its  value,  that  a  blanket  purchased  by  a  soldier  cost 
£100,  and  the  salary  of  the  Rev.  Ebenezer  Bridge,  of  Chelms- 
ford,  for  eight  months,  "  was  set,"  as  Mr.  Allen  informs  us  in 
his  history  of  that  town,  "  at  .£3,600. "  Ebenezer  French  used 
to  say  that  he  once  paid  $40  of  it  for  a  breakfast  in  New  York. 
This  paper-money,  becoming  utterly  worthless,  went  out  of  use 
the  year  following,  and  was  never  redeemed. 

This  was  the  darkest  period  of  the  Revolution.  "  Through- 
out the  country,"  says  Mr.  Barry,  "  the  sufferings  of  the  peo- 
ple were  almost  incredible.  The  life-blood  of  the  nation  had 
been  poured  out  like  water ;  there  were  desolate  homes  in 
every  town  ;  family  ties  had  been  broken  and  sundered  ;  the 
old  had  grown  gray  in  military  service,  the  young  had  shot 
up  to  a  premature  manhood  ;  cities  and  dwellings  were  falling 
to  decay,  and  the  half-tilled  soil,  covered  with  weeds,  and  the 
ruined  fences  which  scarcely  kept  out  starving  cattle,  told  of 
the  hardships  the  yeomanry  had  endured."* 

Dunstable,  however,  continued  to  furnish  and  to  pay  its 
quotas  of  soldiers,  to  support  religious  worship,  and  to  appro- 
priate something  for  the  education  of  its  children.  All  classes 
cheerfully  denied  themselves  the  common  luxuries  of  life,  and 
gave  themselves  to  unremitting  labor.  The  music  of  the 
household  was  that  of  the  loom  and  spinning-wheel,  and  the 
wives  and  daughters,  during  the  absence  of  their  husbands 
and  their  brothers  at  the  seat  of  war,  were  always  ready  to 
help  the  aged  men  in  out-of-door  labor  on  the  farms. 

*  History  of  Massachusetts,  III,  p  165. 


1781] 


SOLDIERS  PAID  IN  BEEF  AND   CORN. 


To  know  the  worth  of  liberty,  we  have  but  to  turn  our 
thoughts  to  those  dark  days  and  see  how  much  it  cost. 

Ebenezer  Proctor  and  James  Blood,  Jr.,  paid  fines  in  Groton 
this  year  for  not  accepting  the  office  of  collector  in  that  town. 
They  lived  on  Unquetynasset  Brook,  and,  by  the  frequent 
changes  in  the  town  lines,  were  citizens,  now  of  one  town  and 
then  of  the  other,  as  the  votes  of  the  majority  happened  to 
determine.  The  original  settler,  James  Blood,  bought  his  land 
of  an  Indian  half-breed  by  the  name  of  Cook,  and  lived  near 
the  house  of  Mr.  Washington  E.  Blood. 

In  March,  1/81,  Lieut.  Lemuel  Perham,  Josiah  Blodgett,  Jr., 
and  Abel  Coburn  were  chosen  as  a  committee  of  correspond- 
ence ;  and  in  April  following,  the  town  voted  4,460  pounds  of 
beef  and  ^120  in  silver  for  the  army,  also,  ^30  in  silver  for 
public  schools.  It  gave  this  year,  April  2,  twenty-three  votes 
for  John  Hancock  for  governor,  and  eighteen  votes  for  Thomas 
Gushing  for  lieutenant-governor. 

By  the  defeat  and  capture  of  the  British  forces  under  Lord 
Cornwallis  at  Yorktown,  Va.,  on  the  iQth  of  October,  1781,  the 
war,  which  had  cost  so  many  lives  and  the  colonies  at  least 
$135,000,000,  was  virtually  terminated. 

In  furnishing  men  and  money,  Massachusetts  bore  about 
one  quarter  of  the  burden,  and  of  this  the  town  of  Dunstable 
its  full  share. 

The  news  of  the  victery  of  the  allied  French  and  American 
forces  under  Washington  was  received  in  every  city,  town, 
and  hamlet  with  the  liveliest  demonstrations  of  joy.  "  From 
every  family  altar,"  says  Mr.  B.  J.  Lossing,  "  where  a  love 
of  freedom  dwelt,  from  pulpits,  legislative  halls,  the  army,  and 
from  Congress  [October  24]  went  up  a  shout  of  thanksgiving 
and  praise  to  the  Lord  God  Omnipotent,  for  the  success  of  the 
allied  troops,  and  these  were  mingled  with  universal  eulogies 
of  the  great  leader  and  his  companion  in  arms.  The  clouds, 
which  had  lowered  for  seven  long  years,  appeared  to  be 
breaking,  and  the  splendors  of  the  dawn  of  peace  burst 
forth,  like  the  light  of  a  clear  morning  after  a  dismal  night 
of  tempest." 

Although  the  Second   Parish  of  Dunstable  had  no  bell  to 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


[1782 


ring  or  cannon  to  discharge  in  expression  of  its  joy  on  the 
reception  of  the  news  of  the  great  victory,  still  every  heart 
exulted  in  the  success  of  Washington  and  Lafayette,  and  their 
names  and  deeds  were  praised  by  every  tongue.  The  soldiers 
soon  returned  from  their  long  campaigns,  and  the  prospect  of 
peace  and  independence  revived  the  drooping  spirits  of  the 
people. 

The  Second  Parish  voted,  April  1  1,  1782,  "to  Raise  and 
assess  thirty  pound  Lawful  Silver  money  to  hire  a  minister  or 
ministers  of  the  Gospel  to  preach  in  the  Parish  and  that  Joel 
Parkhurst,  Esq.,  Capt  Jonathan  Fletcher  and  Mr  Jacob  Kendall 
should  be  a  Committee  to  provide  for  Said  preaching." 

Of  the  money  (,£30)  raised  for  preaching  this  year,  the 
Rev.  John  Strickland  received  ^3  6s.,  and  the  Rev.  Phinehas 
Wright  (H.  C.  1772)  £11  us.  6d.  Mr.  Jacob  Kendall  was 
paid  ^3  4-r.  for  boarding  the  last-named  minister.  The  town 
cast  eleven  votes  for  John  Hancock  as  governor. 

Timothy  Read,  Lieut.  John  Cheney,  and  Oliver  Taylor  were 
appointed  by  the  Second  Parish,  June  15,  a  committee  to  hire 
soldiers  to  reinforce  the  Continental  army  for  six  months,  and 
this  is  the  last  mention  on  the  records  of  the  parish  of  any 
levy  on  the  town  for  men  to  aid  in  carrying  on  the  war.  It 
was  agreed  at  a  meeting  of  the  parish,  held  on  the  iQth  of 
October  following,  to  allow  the  accounts  of  the  said  committee. 
These  were  to  be  settled,  not  by  money,  for  of  that  the  people 
had  long  been  almost  destitute,  but  by  two  hundred  and  fifty 
bushels  of  Indian  corn  and  3,333^  pounds  of  beef,  "which 
grain  &  beef  the  abovesaid  Committee  Engaged  to  five  men 
.to  serve  in  the  Continental  army  for  the  term  of  six  months 
unless  sooner  Discharged." 

The  following  notices  of  some  men  actively  engaged  in  the 
war  of  the  Revolution  were  given  to  me  by  Mr.  Josiah  T. 
Cummings  :  — 

OLIVER  CUMMINGS,  Jr.,  was  a  private  in  the  battle  of  White 
Plains,  Oct.  28,  1776.  He  returned  to  Dunstable  and  subse- 
quently removed  to  the  town  of  Sumner,  Me.,  where  he  died. 

JAMES  CUMMINGS  was  at  the  taking  of  Ticonderoga,  July 
12,  1777,  and  in  other  engagements  during  the  war.  He  mar- 


1/82]  HOMESTEAD   OF  JONAS  FRENCH. 

ried,  first,  Charlotte  French,  and,  second,  Sally  Wright,  both  of 
Dunstable,  and  died  Sept.  6,  1840,  aged  80  years. 

JOSIAH  CUMMINGS,  son  of  Oliver  and  Sybil  (Bailey)  Cum- 
mings,  entered  the  army  when  a  mere  boy,  and  served  as  a 
guard  over  the  soldiers  of  Gen.  Burgoyne,  subsequent  to  their 
capture  in  October,  1777.  He  also  performed  duty  with  the 
army  in  New  Jersey.  After  the  Revolution  he  was  commis- 
sioned as  captain  of  the  Dunstable  militia  company.  He  mar- 
ried first  Sally  and  then  Olive  Taylor,  sisters,  and  lived  on  the 
place  now  occupied  by  his  son,  Josiah  T.  Cummings.  His 
death  occurred  Sept.  n,  1834. 

WILLIAM  FRENCH  was  a  private  at  the  battle  of  Bunker 
Hill.  On  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service  at  Cambridge, 
he  re-enlisted  and  well  performed  his  duty  through  the  war. 
He  was  by  trade  a  shoemaker  and  was  never  married.  He 
lived  to  be  about  ninety  years  old,  and  was  much  respected. 

JONAS  FRENCH,  born  Aug.  7,  1757,  and  youngest  brother  of 
the  above,  was  with  him,  as  already  stated,  at  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill.  He  also  served  as  a  faithful  soldier  through  the 


HOMESTEAD   OF  JONAS    FRENCH. 


war.    He  was  often  employed  as  a  school-teacher.    He  married, 
first,  Betsy  Marshall,  and  second,  Mrs.  Ann  Mitchell.    Both  he 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


[1782 


and  his  brother  William  received  pensions  for  services  in  the  war. 
It  is  recorded  in  the  town  books  that  "Jonas  French,  August  30, 
1  792,  bought  pew  No.  1  2  for  £,12  i8.r."  He  died  in  1840,  and  his 
remains  repose  in  "The  French  Tomb"  in  the  Central  Cemetery. 
From  him  is  descended  Col.  Jonas  Harrod  French,  of  Boston. 

EBENEZER  FRENCH,  to  whom  reference  has  already  been 
made,  served  through  the  war,  and  died  in  Dunstable,  April 
14,  1808,  in  his  seventy-seventh  year.  He  married,  first,  Sarah 
Proctor,  by  whom  he  had  Sarah,  born  May  6,  1767  ;  and  second, 
Susannah  Hamblett,  of  Nottingham,  N.  H.,  by  whom  he  had 
Charlotte,  born  Aug.  13,  1774,  and  John,  born  March  15,  1778, 
and  who  was  the  father  of  the  present  Benjamin  French,  Esq. 

SAMUEL  FRENCH  had  a  ball  shot  through  his  right  ear  at  the 
battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  He  died  in  Dunstable,  and  is  buried 
on  Meeting-House  Hill. 

ELEAZER  FRENCH,  wounded  in  the  same  battle,  died  of  con- 
sumption soon  after  his  return  home. 

JONATHAN  FRENCH,  brother  of  the  two  last  named,  was  with. 
them  in  the  first  great  battle  of  the  Revolution,  and  was  sub- 
sequently, together  with  his  two  sons,  in  the  service  on  Lake 
Champlain. 

WILLIAM  BLODGETT  served  as  a  private  during  the  war.  He 
had  learned  to  face  danger  in  the  old  French  War.  He  was 
four  times  cast  away  at  sea.  Ensign  John  Cheney  married 
one  of  his  sisters. 

JOHN  CHENEY  had  acquired  great  experience  as  a  soldier  in 
the  old  French  War,  and  served  his  country  faithfully  during 
the  Revolution.  He  was  at  the  capture  of  Quebec.  He  was 
a  very  useful  citizen,  held  many  town  offices,  and  died  Feb. 
23,  1831;  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-two  years,  leaving  a 
numerous  posterity. 

TEMPLE  KENDALL,  born  Aug.  10,  1730,  was  a  brother  of 
John  Kendall,  the  father  of  Deacon  Zebedee  Kendall.  His 
grand-daughter,  Mrs.  Prudence  (Kendall)  Blodgett,  is  still 
living  on  the  old  Blodgett  place.  He  was  a  lieutenant  under 
Capt.  John  Ford  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 

JOHN  PROCTOR  came  home  from  the  war  and  died  of  con- 
sumption. 


1782] 


HOMESTEAD   OF  DEXTER  BUT7ERFIELD. 


141 


Col.  EBENF.ZER  BANCROFT,  as  already  stated,  fought  bravely 
at  Bunker  Hill,  and  in  other  battles  during  the  war.  He 
purchased  and  enlarged  the  house  once  owned  by  Henry  Far- 
well  and  now  occupied  by  his  grandson,  Ebenezer  Bancroft, 
Esq.  He  went  into  the  French  War  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
years.  He  was  commissioned  lieutenant-colonel  April  21,  1780, 
and  justice  of  the  peace  in  1798.  He  married  Susan  Fletcher, 
by  whom  he  had  nine  children.  He  died  greatly  respected 
Sept.  22,  1827,  and  was  buried  under  arms,  the  band  playing 
"  Blue  Eyed  Mary"  on  the  way  to  the  grave. 

JONATHAN  WOODWARD  served  as  a  private  through  the  war. 
He  lived  to  be  a  centenarian,  and  a  sermon,  was  preached  on 
his  one  hundredth  birthday.  He  retained  the  use  of  his  facul- 
ties until  near  the  close  of  life,  and  was  an  excellent  man. 

Ensign  LEONARD  BUTTERFIELD  was  a  private  in  the  war. 
He  lived  near  Meeting-House  Hill.  Leonard  Butterfield,  the 
father,  lived  on  the  south  side  of  the  road  on  Meeting-House 
Hill  ;  his  son,  Philip  Butterfield,  lived  on  the  same  side  of  the 
road,  a  little  towards  the  west.  The  cellar-holes  of  both  houses 
still  remain.  Leonard  Butterfield,  Jr.,  built  the  house  now 
owned  by  Dexter  Butterfield,  east  of  Meeting-House  Hill,  the 
picture  of  which  is  here  given. 


HOMESTEAD    OF   DEXTER    DUTTBRFIBLD. 


142  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1783 

JESSE  BUTTERFIELD  served  as  a  private  in  the  war,  and 
removed  to  Farmington,  Me.,  where  he  died. 

PHILIP  BUTTERFIELD,  brother  of  the  above,  was  also  a  pri- 
vate in  the  war. 

PAUL  WOODS  went  into  the  naval  service,  and  was  killed  by 
falling  from  the  mast  of  a  ship. 

JOEL  PARKHURST,  father  of  Leonard  Parkhurst,  was  a  private 
in  the  war,  and  died  at  Dunstable.  His  house  stood  about 
twenty  rods  north  of  that  of  Mr.  John  A.  Parkhurst. 

His  son,  LEONARD  PARKHURST,  also  served  in  the  war,  and 
died  March  28,  1821,  aged  57  years  and  8  months. 

EPHRAIM  and  NATHAN  TAVLOR,  brothers,  living  in  the  east- 
erly part  of  the  town,  went  into  the  army,  and  were  never 
heard  from  afterwards. 

DANIEL  JAQUES  died  Sept.  2,  1835,  aged  78  years.  He  is 
buried  in  Tyngsborough,  and  on  the  headstone  is  written,  "To 
die  is  to  go  home  "  ;  and  also,  "  A  soldier  of  the  Revolution." 
Hannah  Jaques,  his  widow,  died  Aug.  6,  1840,  aged  87  years. 

March  3,  1783,  the  town  appropriated  £,y>  for  education, 
and  allowed  to  Joseph  Dix  £3  2s.,  and  to  Asa  Parker  ^3  i8s , 
for  keeping  school.  On  the  7th  of  April  the  town  cast  sixteen 
votes  for  John  Hancock  as  governor,  and  eleven  votes  for 
Thomas  Gushing  as  lieutenant-governor.  At  the  same  time  a 
committee,  consisting  of  Jonathan  Fletcher,  Nathaniel  Holden, 
Jonathan  Emerson,  and  Temple  Kendall,  reported  that  it  was 
advisable  that  the  town  should  be  divided  into  five  districts  for 
school  purposes,  as  follows  :  — 

1.  All  to  the  east  of  the  Merrimack  River. 

2.  All  the  First  Parish  on  the  westerly  side  of  the  Merri- 
mack River,  excepting  Lieut.  Perham  and  Mr.  John  Bridge. 

3.  All  the  Second  Parish  on  the  great  road  from  Mr.  Ezra 
Thompson's  to  Hollis  up  to  Salmon  Brook  living  on,  and  to 
the  north  of  said  road. 

4.  All  to  the  west  of  Salmon  Brook,  excepting  Mr.  Bridge's. 

5.  All  the  remainder  of  the  town. 

In  May  this  report  was  accepted,  and  the  districts  were 
established.  The  Hon.  John  Tyng  was  chosen  representative, 
and  it  was  voted  that  the  selectmen  should  build  a  pound. 


1784] 


VOTE    TO  REMOVE    THE  MEETING-HOUSE. 


On  the  third  day  of  September  a  definitive  treaty  of  peace 
between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  was  signed  at 
Paris,  and  when  the  news  reached  America  no  town  in  the 
country  experienced  greater  joy  than  Dunstable,  for  none  had 
made  greater  sacrifices  during  the  whole  of  the  long  and  san- 
guinary war.  Its  hardy  yeomanry  had  freely  shed  their  blood 
on  almost  all  the  great  battle-fields  ;  its  wives  and  daughters 
had  suffered  many  privations  during  the  extended  conflict,  and 
all  rejoiced  to  hear  the  blessed  sound  of  peace  once  more.  The 
well-worn  musket  was  now  hung  above  the  oaken  mantel-piece, 
and  the  old  drum  went  into  the  attic  for  "  silent  repose." 

In  1784  the  town  paid  to  Mr.  William  Gordon  £$  14^.,  "for 
keeping  school  and  bording  himself"  ;  also  to  Mr.  Samuel 
Whiting  £ig,  Mr.  Joseph  Dix  ^3  4^.  6d.,  and  to  Miss  Susannah 
Bancroft  £2,  for  keeping  school.  The  sum  of  £,40  was  raised 
for  school  purposes.  It  was  voted  this  year  "  that  swine  go  at 
large."  It  seems  that  town-meetings  at  this  period  were  held 
alternately  at  the  churches  of  the  First  and  Second  Parishes,  or 
at  some  public  or  private  house  in  the  vicinity  ;  as,  for  example, 
on  Feb.  26  the  town  assembled  at  the  meeting-house  of  the 
First  Parish,  and  the  adjourned  meeting  was  held  at  the  tavern 
of  Ovid  Houston,  near  by  ;  then  the  next  meeting  was  held 
at  the  inn  of  Capt.  Oliver  Cummings,  in  the  Second  Parish. 
Ovid  Houston,  colored,  kept  a  tavern  for  a  long  period  in  a 
house  near  what  is  now  the  Tp  ngsborough  depot,  and  accumu- 
lated a  handsome  property,  of  which  he  left  about  $5,000. 
One  of  his  sons  was  fitted  for  college. 

The  committee  of  the  Second  Parish,  1784,  were  John  Cum- 
mings, Zebedee  and  Abraham  Kendall  ;  and  at  a  meeting  of 
this  parish,  July  12,  at  the  house  of  Capt.  Oliver  Cummings, 
innholder,  it  was  voted  "  to  have  the  Line  which  runs  between 
the  East  and  West  parishes  in  this  town  of  Dunstable  Dis- 
solved." ' 

As  the  westerly  part  of  the  town  had  now  become  generally 
settled,  and  as  the  centre  of  population  had  advanced  some- 
what in  that  direction,  it  was  thought  advisable  that  the  place 
of  public  worship  should  be  changed,  and  hence  at  the  meet- 
ing held  Nov.  8,  1784,  it  was  "voted  to  move  the  meeting- 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

house  from  the  place  it  now  stands  on  to  some  other  Convenient 
place  in  said  Parish  "  ;  it  was  also  voted  that  the  place  "  be 
between  the  Dwelling  house  of  Mr  Jonathan  Procters  and  the 
house  that  Mr.  Jonathan  Woodward  now  Lives  in  on  the  north 
side  of  the  rode  that  goes  from  one  house  to  the  other  a  little 
to  the  west  of  north  from  said  Procters  new  Barn." 

The  sum  of  £6  6s.  was  allowed  to  Abraham  and  Jacob 
Kendall  this  year  for  the  payment  of  the  Rev.  John  Bruce,* 
who  probably  supplied  the  pulpit  at  least  two  Sabbaths. 

Jacob  Kendall  was  chosen,  Nov.  3,  a  deacon  by  the  church, 
but  declined  the  honor  proffered  to  him. 

In  1785  the  town  raised  ^40  for  schools,  gave  twelve  votes 
for  James  Bowdoin  as  governor,  and  chose  the  Hon.  John  Pitts 
to  represent  it  in  the  General  Court. 

The  snow  on  the  22d  of  April  was  two  feet  deep,  and  the 
surface  so  much  incrusted  with  ice  as  to  bear  up  an  ox-sled. 

From  an  account-book  of  Capt.  Oliver  Cummings,  a  very 
curious,  weather-stained  folio  of  some  twenty-eight  pages,  it 
appears  that  the  habit  of  using  spirituous  liquors,  and  running 
into  debt  for  the  same,  was  very  prevalent  here,  as  in  other 
New  England  towns,  at  this  period.  West  India  rum  was 
used  on  all  occasions,  and  the  minister  hesitated  not  to  im- 
bibe it  in  common  with  his  people.  It  was  looked  upon  as 
a  necessity,  even  at  the  burial  of  the  dead.  "  Come,  let  us 
have  something  to  drink,"  was  ajmost  alv/ays  the  first  saluta- 
tion when  the  minister,  on  his  parochial  visit,  entered  a  house ; 
and  the  rum,  poured  out  of  the  long,  square,  dark-colored 
bottles,  was  made  into  punch  or  "  toddy,"  and  passed  to  him 
and  to  all  the  others  present.  This  custom  was  the  cause  of 
untold  mischief.  The  following  account  (which  I  find  on  a 
stray  leaf)  of  the  innkeeper  with  his  mother,  Mrs.  Nathaniel 
Cummings,  will  give  a  very  good  idea  of  the  orthography  and 
subject-matter  of  the  captain's  unique  folio  :  — 


*  He  was  a  native  of  Maryborough,  Mass.,  where  he  was  born  in  the  year  1757. 
He  studied  at  Dartmouth  College,  and  was  settled  in  that  part  of  Amherst  now 
Mount  Vernon,  Nov.  3,  1785,  where  he  continued  as  pastor  until  his  death  by 
apoplexy,  March  12,  1809. 


ATTEMPT  TO    UNITE    THE  PARISHES.  ^5 

DECEMBER,  1785. 
MY  MOTHER  TO  ME  DETER 

to  3  qurts  Rum    .    ;     .       >.  ..;  ,  .    ';  ,y- '  •. .  .     o       2     o 

to  5  Bushel  In  Corn    .    .     .        .        *,.*..  .0180 

to  4  Ry        .     .    .         ."     .         .         ,','.,  .0180 

Pint  West  Rum        .      '.         .  \     '."'      .  :.     o      08 

Pint  Brandy     .    •     .  '      .        V    ;  V       V  .     o       08 
Pound  Rasons        :v       .       '<      '  »        .    ""••.,   o       i     o 

Pound  Figs       .        .        . .-.    -4.-  •    ..  :     *  ••  .     o      o     8 

Qurt  Wes  Rum        .    ..,-..    .,, ..      ...  .     o       i     6 

1  Qurt  Brandy     .         .     ;    .        >.        .         .  .     o       I     6 

2  Qurts  Rum       .   .  '  . "  '    ".        '.        .  .''..'  •     o       I     6 
i  Qurt  Brandy     .         .        .'        .         .       •.  '  .     o       I     6 
20  wt  Pork           i        •        .        i    ''••-«•        .  .     o      68 

OLIVER  CUMMINGS. 

The  Second  Parish,  Jan.  25,  voted  not  to  disannul  the 
"vote  passed  at  a  late  meeting  of  Sd  parish  relative  to  Sd 
parish  is  being  Incorporated  into  a  District."  It  paid  Mr. 
Wilkins  for  preaching  £4.  los.  ;  also  Mr.  Jacob  Kendall 
£i  i^s.  for  boarding  Mr.  Coggin  and  keeping  his  horse.  It 
"  voted  &  chose  Mr.  John  Chaney  Junr  to  Lead  in  Singing  in 
Publick  Worship." 

This  is  the  only  reference  to  music  on  the  records  of  the 
Second  Parish  ;  but  it  would  seem  from  those  of  the  church, 
that  the  practice  of  "  lining  out "  the  hymns  had  not  yet  been 
abandoned.  It  was  about  this  period  that  church  choirs  were 
formed  in  the  State,  which  soon  broke  up  "  the  deaconing  out 
of  the  hymns  "  so  long  practised  by  our  worthy  ancestors. 
The  psalms  and  hymns  of  Dr.  Watts  also  took  the  place  of 
"  the  Bay  Psalm  Book,"  and  some  of  the  fugue  tunes  of  Wil- 
liam Billings  were  now  occasionally  sung. 

There  was  a  strong  desire  on  the  part  of  some  persons  at  this 
time  that  the  two  parishes  should  be  united,  and  that  a  minister 
should  be  settled  for  the  whole  town.  It  was,  therefore,  voted 
by  the  Second  Parish,  Nov.  20,  1 786,  "  to  Joyn  with  the  i  st  parish 
in  this  Town  in  applying  to  the  General  Court  to  desolve  the 
Line  between  the  two  parishes,  and  to  erect  a  house  for  the 
publick  worship  of  God  at  the  place  where  Mr.  Ezra  Thomp- 
sons Barn  now  stands,  and  will  give  up  our  meeting  house  for 


146  HISTORY  OF  D UNSTABLE. 

the   use  of  the  Town  upon  Condition  that  the  First   Parish 
give  their  meeting  house  for  the  same  use." 

In  1786  it  raised  ^30  for  preaching,  and  allowed  Mr.  Jacob 
Kendall  £,\  4$-.  "for  Hording  Mr.  Jonathan  Wilkins  three 
weeks  &  Keeping  his  horse  the  same  time  " 

The  school-teachers  at  this  time  were,  John  Blodgett,  Joseph 
Butterfield,  Jr.,  and  wife,  Susannah  Bancroft,  a  noted  instructor 
of  that  period,  Elizabeth  Swallow,  Joseph  Dix,  Rachel  Fletcher, 
and  Elizabeth  Powers.  One  school  was  held  at  the  house  of 
Mr.  Ebenezer  French,  which  stood  near  the  present  residence 
of  Benjamin  French,  Esq.,  the  town  paying  him  £\  14^.  for  its 
use.  Another  school  was  kept  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Thomas 
Fletcher,  in  the  northwesterly  section  of  the  town,  and  for  the 
rent  of  a  room  for  the  same,  he  received  the  sum  of  8s.  from 
the  public  treasury. 

The  town  this  year,  for  the  first  time,  elected  overseers  of 
the  poor.  They  were  William  French,  Peter  Perham,  Jonas 
Taylor,  Josiah  Danforth,  and  Zebedee  Kendall.  The  poor 
were  kindly  treated,  sometimes  receiving  a  small  sum  of  money 
from  the  town  to  help  them  in  their  efforts  to  maintain  them- 
selves, and  sometimes  living  in  the  family  of  a  relative  or 
friend,  who  received  some  compensation  for  their  expense  and 
trouble.  The  number  of  paupers  probably  did  not  exceed  the 
number  of  the  committee  appointed  to  take  care  of  them. 

Solomon  Pollard  was  elected  the  "  deer  reeve,"  and  thus  it 
appears  that  this  animal  was  still  common  in  this  region. 

Goods  amounting  to  thirty  millions  had  been  recently  im- 
ported into  our  country  from  England,  while  we,  at  the  same 
time,  had  exported  of  our  own  productions  only  to  the  amount 
of  nine  millions.  The  country  was,  therefore,  drained  of  its 
specie,  and  the  people  were  poor.  The  result  of  this  suicidal 
policy  soon  appeared  in  a  strong  disaffection  of  a  part  of  the 
people  towards  the  government.  It  was  during  this  year 
(1786)  that  the  famous  rebellion  under  Capt.  Daniel  Shays 
broke  out,  causing  great  excitement  in  all  parts  of  the  State. 

Among  the  grievances  presented  in  a  memorial  of  the 
insurgents  were  the  want  of  a  circulating  medium,  the  large 
salaries  of  the  public  officers,  the  aristocratic  bearing  of  the 


1787] 


SIfAYS'S  REBELLION. 


Senate,  the  heavy  burden  of  taxation,  the  holding  of  the 
General  Court  in  Boston,  and  the  abuses  in  the  practice  of 
the  law.  These,  and  other  grievances  then  set  forth,  were 
not  imaginary.  The  people  were  in  debt,  the  wages  of  the  sol- 
diers were  unpaid,  the  taxes  burdensome.  Daniel  Shays,* 
who  had  been  a  captain  in  the  late  war,  was  appointed  leader 
of  the  insurgents,  numbering,  in  all,  perhaps  2,000,  and  in 
December  they  took  possession  of  the  court-house  in  the  town 
of  Springfield.  But  the  good  sense  of  the  people  prevailed, 
and  Gen.  William  Shepard,  in  conjunction  with  Gen.  Benjamin 
Lincoln,  at  the  head  of  about  4,000  troops,  soon  quelled  the 
insurrection.  Though  suffering  greatly  from  the  effects  of 
the  long  war,  and  not  insensible  to  the  grievances  complained 
of,  the  town  of  Dunstable  decided  that  the  government  must 
be  sustained,  and  sent  her  quota  of  men  to  aid  in  suppressing 
the  rebellion.  The  simple  record  of  their  march  has  been 
preserved. 

''On  the  1  7th  of  January  1787  we  marched  to  Chelmsford  ;  on  the  i8th 
to  Lincoln;  igth  to  Weston;  2oth  to  Sudbury  ;  2ist  to  Marlborough  ; 
22d  to  Worcester  ;  25th  to  Western  ;  26th,  to  Palmer  ;  27th  to  Springfield 
West  25  miles  ;  29th  to  Hatfield  25  miles  ;  Feb.  4th,  to  Petersham  33 
miles  ;  7th  to  Amherst  25  miles  ;  8th  to  Northampton  8  miles  ;  Qth  to 
Chesterfield  14  miles  ;  loth,  to  Partridgefield  18  miles  ;  nth  to  Pittsfield 
8  miles  ;  I3th  to  Tyringham,  20  miles  ;  I4th,  to  Sandisfield,  16  miles  ;  22d, 
to  Grantville  ;  23d  to  Springfield  ;  24th,  to  Spencer  ;  25th  to  Harvard  ; 
26th  to  Dunstable,  the  end  of  the  march." 

This  record  was  probably  made  by  Mr.  Leonard  Parkhurst, 
who,  with  Capt.  Nathaniel  Fletcher,  Isaac  Kendall,  and  Na- 
thaniel Cummings,  were  in  the  expedition. 

They  were  with  Gen.  Lincoln,  as  it  appears  from  the  above 

*  Daniel  Shays,  son  of  Patrick  Shays,  was  born  on  Saddle  Hill,  in  Hopkinton, 
Mass.,  in  1747.  He  was  considered  a  fine  fellow  by  his  early  companions.  In 
the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill  he  fought  bravely,  and  afterwards  through  the  Revo- 
lution. At  the  close  of  the  war,  during  which  he  had  been  honored  with  a  cap- 
tain's commission,  he  settled  in  Pelham,  and,  a  bankrupt  in  character  and  fortune, 
united  with  Luke  Day,  and  other  malcontents,  in  the  rebellion  against  the  State 
authorities.  In  their  attack  on  the  arsenal  at  Springfield,  Jan.  25,  1787,  three  of 
the  rebels  were  killed  and  the  whole  force  was  soon  broken.  Shays  fled  to  Canada, 
and  afterwards  received  a  pardon  and  a  pension.  He  died  in  Sparta,  N.  Y., 
Sept.  29,  1825. 


I48  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1787 

record,  in  his  memorable  march  from  the  Connecticut  River 
through  the  deep  snows  of  winter  to  the  town  of  Petersham  • 
where  the  forces  of  the  insurgents  were  concentred,  —  "a 
march,"  says  Mr.  Allen,  "  that  would  have  done  honor  to  the 
veteran  soldiers  of  a  Hannibal  or  a  Napoleon."  The  sudden 
appearance  of  Gen.  Lincoln's  troops  dispersed  the  rebels,  and 
they  never  rallied  afterwards. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  First  Parish,  held  in  January,  1787,  Joel 
Parkhurst,  Esq.,  and  Lieut.  Joseph  Danforth  were  appointed 
to  apply  to  the  General  Court  "  to  desolve  the  Line  between 
the  two  parishes  at  their  next  Session,"  but  elements  of  dis- 
cord prevented  the  union  of  the  parishes. 

Dr.  Ebenezer  Starr  was  allowed  this  year  £\  os.  iod.,  to 
pay  Mr.  Samuel  Dix  for  preaching.  Other  sums  were  paid  to 
Messrs.  Smith,  Dix,  and  Remington,  "  for  speaking  in  the 
pulpit." 

One  article  in  a  warrant  given  under  the  seal  of  Jonas 
French,  Zebedee  Kendall,  and  James  Cummings,  Jan.  19, 
1787,  is  "  to  See  if  the  parish  will  Take  under  Consideration 
our  Situation  in  Regard  of  a  burrying  place  and  do  and  act 
thereon  as  they  shall  think  proper."  And  with  this  and  the 
usual  summons  for  the  meeting,  the  first  book  of  records  of 
the  Second  Parish  in  Dunstable  closes.  It  is  a  folio  bound  in 
parchment,  and  contains  214  pages,  embracing  the  proceedings 
of  the  parish  from  1755  to  1787 ;  and  although  some  one  has 
written  in  bold  letters  at  the  commencement,  "  A  CANNON 
OF  DISCORD,"  it  contains  matter  of  great  interest  to  the 
citizens  of  the  town,  and  testifies  on  almost  every  page  to  the 
independence,  integrity,  wisdom,  and  patriotism  of  the  early 
settlers  of  the  place. 

Preparatory  to  the  union  of  the  two  parishes  into  one,  a 
resolve  was  passed  in  the  General  Court,*  June  16,  1787,  re- 
pealing the  incorporation  of  the  Second  Parish  ;  but  the  dona- 
tion of  Mrs.  Sarah  (Tyng)  Winslow,  as  will  be  seen,  prevented 
the  union. 

The  town  now  assumed  the  direction  of  ecclesiastical  affairs. 

*  See  Massachusetts  Resolves,  Vol.  VII,  p.  14. 


1787] 


SELECTMEN. 


It  voted,  in  1787,  to  raise  £60  for  preaching,  and  also  that  the 
services  should  be  held  alternately  at  the  east  and  west  meet- 
ing-house. 

It  moreover  decided,  Dec.  3,  to  buy  land  of  Mr.  Ezra 
Thompson  for  a  meeting-house.  The  Rev.  Jesse  Remington 
was  the  acting  minister,  and  the  town  engaged  him  to  supply 
the  pulpits  till  the  ist  of  March.  Captain  Nathaniel  Holden, 
John  Perham,  Jr.,  Elijah  Fletcher,  and  Zebedee  Kendall  were 
the  selectmen.  The  town  raised  £40  for  the  support  of  the 
public  schools. 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


CHAPTER    X . 

A  CHURCH   FAST.  —  A  DONATION   FROM   MRS.  SARAH  WINSLOW.  —  NAMES 

OF  THOSE  VOTING  ITS  ACCEPTANCE.  —  PEOPLE  IN  THE  WEST  PART  OP- 
POSED TO  IT. —  THE  DISTRICT  OF  TYNGSBOROUGH  INCORPORATED.  —  THE 
FIRST  SCHOOL-HOUSE.  —  CERTAIN  FAMILIES  RECEIVED  FROM  GROTON. — 
SINGING  IN  CHURCH.  —  REMOVAL  OF  THE  MEETING-HOUSE  TO  THE  CEN- 
TRE.—  SALE  OF  PEWS.  —  DEDICATION  OF  THE  HOUSE.  —  SETTLEMENT  OF 
THE  REV.  JOSHUA  HEYWOOD.  —  FORMATION  OF  A  BAPTIST  SOCIETY.  — 
A  SINGING  SCHOOL.  —  ROLL  OF  CAPT.  JOSIAH  CUMMINGS'S  COMPANY. — 
A  SOCIAL  LIBRARY.  —  MEMBERS.  —  AGRICULTURAL  LIBRARY.  —  SEVERAL 
PERSONS  ANNEXED  TO  THE  TOWN. —  OPPOSITION  TO  THE  BASS-VIOL. — 
FIVE  SCHOOL-HOUSES  BUILT.  —  THE  TOWN  OF  TYNGSBOROUGH  INCOR- 
PORATED.—  THE  FIRST  SCHOOL  COMMITTEE.  —  THE  MILITARY  COMPANY 
AT  THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  WAR  OF  1812.  —  ENLISTMENTS  FOR  THE 
WAR.  —  SPOTTED  FEVER.  —  DEATH  OF  JOHN  WOODWARD,  JR.  —  DEATH 
OF  MR.  HEYWOOD. —  His  CHARACTER.  —  MR.  SILAS  JOHNSON  KILLED. 
—  REVIVAL  OF  RELIGION.  —  UNIVERSALIST  SOCIETY.  —  GROTON  LINE 
STRAIGHTENED. 

"  We  know  a  bank  whose  vaults  are  well  stored  with  the  richest  treas- 
ures. It  has  a  perpetual  charter,  and  is  known  as  the  GRAND  BANK 
OF  TERRA  FIRMA,  an  entrance  to  which  may  be  found  on  the  sunny  side 
of  most  of  our  hills."  FAMILY  VISITOR. 

"  Happy  the  man  whose  wish  and  care 

A  few  paternal  acres  bound  ; 
Content  to  breathe  his  native  air 

In  his  own  ground."  ALEXANDER  POPE. 

ON  the  2  ist  day  of  February,  1788,  the  church  held  a  solemn 
fast  "  to  look  up  by  Prayer  to  the  Supreme  Head  of  the  Church 
for  his  Direction  in  Choise  of  a  Minister,"  but  it  appears  that 
no  minister  was  found  to  suit  all  the  congregation.  The  town 
appropriated  ^30  "to  hier  preaching,"  ;£io  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  the  poor,  and  ^40  for  the  support  of  schools.  James 
P.  Hovey,  one  of  the  teachers,  received  ^3  6s.  8d.  for  ten 
weeks'  service. 


1789] 


MRS'    WINSLOW'S  DONATION. 


On  the  seventh  day  of  January,  1789,  Mrs.  Sarah  (Tyng) 
Winslow*  made  the  town  an  offer  of  a  considerable  sum  of 
money  for  the  support  of  a  minister  and  a  grammar  school, 
but  the  conditions  were  such  as  to  cause  a  bitter  feeling  in  the 
westerly  part,  and  the  incorporation  of  the  easterly  part  into 
a  district.  Her  proposals  were  as  follows  :  — 

"  To  promote  piety  and  learning  in  this  town  of  Dunstable,  &  to  unite 
the  town  in  peace,  I  will  give  the  income  or  interest  of  .£1,333  &s-  8aT., 
lawful  money,  to  ye  said  town,  one  half  for  the  support  of  a  minister  and 
the  other  half  for  the  support  of  a  grammar-school  for  ever  on  ye  following 
conditions,  viz.  :  Provided  the  town  shall  settle  a  minister  within  one 
year,  who  shall  be  approved  by  the  Congregational  ministers  in  the  five 
neighboring  towns.  That  ye  town  repair  ye  east  meeting-house,  &  that  a 
meeting-house  be  forever  upheld  on  the  spot  on  which  the  said  meeting- 
house now  stands.  Also,  that  a  convenient  house  for  a  grammar-school 
be  built  within  one  year,  as  near  the  said  meeting-house  as  the  grounds 
will  admit  a  house  for  said  purpose,  and  on  ye  said  ground,  to  be  upheld 
forever,  and  such  a  learned  and  vertuous  schoolmaster  be  provided,  as  the 
President  of  ye  University  in  Cambridge  shall  recommend.  Provided 
likewise  that  I  am  not  held  to  pay  parish  taxes,  nor  any  more  expenses 
for  the  support  of  a  school  in  said  town.  If  the  town  accept  of  ye  fore- 
going proposals  &  conditions,  I  agree  to  give  them  security  for  the  per- 
formance thereof  on  my  part. 

"SARAH  WINSLOW. 
"  DUNSTABLE,  Jany.  7,  1789." 

The  town  voted  on  the  ensuing  day  to  accept  the  benefac- 
tion ;  but  it  will  be  seen  by  the  names  of  the  voters  below  that 
but  few  from  the  west  section  were  present  :  — 

JOHN  TYNG,  Jr.  ELIPHALET  BREED. 

REUBEN  BUTTERFIELD.  JONATHAN  PERHAM. 

JOSEPH  UPTON.  JONATHAN  BANCROFT. 

NATHANIEL  HOLDEN.  ELIJAH  PERHAM. 

JOHN  HADDOCK.  CHARLES  FLINT. 

EZRA  THOMPSON.  PETER  PERHAM. 

NATHAN  THOMPSON.  ABNER  K.  BUTTERFIELD. 

JOHN  FARWELL.  JONAS  FRENCH. 

SAMUEL  ROBY.  OLIVER  FARWELL. 

ASA  THOMPSON.  JOSIAH  DANFORTH. 

JOHN  CUMMINGS.  EBENEZER  BANCROFT. 

*  Madam  Winslow,  as  she  was  called,  died  Oct.  29,  1791,  aged  72  years. 


1 52  HISTOR  y  OF  D UNSTABLE.  [1789 

JOEL  SPAULDING.  CALEB  COBURN. 

JOHN  PERIIAM,  Jr.  ELEAZER  COBURN. 

JOSEPH  BUTTERKIELD.  DAVID  GOULD. 

OLIVER  COBURN.  WILLIAM  PERHAM. 

ISAAC  PIKE.  JAMES  BUTTERFIELD. 
ASA  UNDERWOOD. 

The  town  voted,  Jan.  29,  £,100  for  repairing  the  east  meet- 
ing-house, for  building  a  school-house,  etc.,  in  accordance  with 
Mrs.  Winslow's  offer,  but  all  persons  living  three  miles  west 
of  said  meeting-house  and  two  and  a  half  miles  east  of  the 
Merrimack  River  were  to  be  exempt  from  taxation  therefor. 
As  the  people  of  the  west  part  of  the  town  were  decidedly 
opposed  to  the  conditions  of  Mrs.  Winslow's  donation,  she  de- 
termined, April  28,  that  if  she  might  retract  her  proposal  she 
would  make  it  to  "  the  people  that  lately  formed  the  First 
Parish  and  to  such  others  as  will  cheerfully  accept  of  it." 

At  a  meeting  of  the  citizens,  held  May  25,  it  was  voted  "  that 
this  town  do  relinquish  their  right  to  Mrs.  Saral\ Winslow's 
proposals  to  this  town  &  that  the  persons  mentioned  in  her 
letter  to  the  town  (April  28th  last)  have  the  benefit  of  her 
donation  &  that  application  be  made  to  the  General  Court  that 
they  and  their  estates  be  incorporated  into  a  district  or  sepa- 
rate corporation,  so  as  that  they  may  receive  said  donation." 

On  the  22d  of  June  following,  what  is  now  the  town  of 
Tyngsborough  was,  therefore,  incorporated  into  a  district,  and 
received  for  its  own  use  the  donation  of  Mrs.  Winslow,  which, 
as  a  town,  it  still  enjoys. 

On  the  loth  of  August  the  town  voted  to  build  a  school-house 
and  to  set  it  "  on  the  great  road  and  in  the  centre  of  the  town 
according  to  pay  &  travel."  Lieut.  Joseph  Fletcher  was  to  have 
^15  for  building  it.  The  teachers  this  year  were  Susannah 
Bancroft,  Mary  Holden,  Chloe  Bancroft,  Jonathan  F.  Sleeper, 
Joseph  Dix,  Aaron  Small,  and  Samuel  Smith. 

On  the  2  ist  df  December  the  town  voted  that  Joseph  Dan- 
forth  should  not  be  set  off  to  Tyngsborough,  and  as  a  sort  of 
compensation  for  the  loss  of  persons  uniting  with  that  dis- 
trict, that  James  Blood  and  fourteen  others,  with  their  lands, 
should  be  received  from  Groton. 


I79°J 


THE  REV'  NATHANIEL  LAWRENCE. 


The  names  of  the  inhabitants  received  from  Groton  at  this 
time  are  as  follows  :  James  Blood,  Silas  Blood,  Silas  Blood, 
Jr.,  Henry  Blood,  Peter  Blood,  Caleb  Blood,  Amaziah  Swallow, 
Caleb  Woods,  Nathaniel  Cummings,  Ebenezer  Proctor,  Silas 
Marshall,  Silas  Marshall,  Jr.,  Levi  Parker,  Isaac  Lawrence, 
Amos  Woods,  Nehemiah  Gilson,  and  Caleb  Woods,  Jr. 

These  persons  dwelt  along  the  valley  of  Unquetynasset 
Brook.  The  town  voted  that  the  meeting-house  should  be 
removed  to  within  thirty  rods  of  the  school-house,  and  £64 
were  appropriated  for  that  purpose. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  church  on  the  22d  of  October,  Elijah 
Robbins  and  Zebedee  Kendall  were  chosen  deacons.  It  was 
then  voted  that  "  Brother  Zebedee  Kendall  shall  Read  the 
Psalm  —  a  Vars  at  a  time,"  also  that  he,  together  with  Abra- 
ham and  Jacob  Kendall,  "  be  a  Committe  to  acquaint  the 
Singers  of  their  Desire  in  Regard  to  Singing."  *  The  hymn- 
book  now  in  use  was  the  Psalms  and  Hymns  of  Dr.  Watts, 
and  it  appears  that  the  custom  of  "  deaconing  out  "  the  lines 
was  still  in  vogue.  Dec.  22  Abraham  Kendall  and  David 
Taylor  were  chosen  as  "  Delligates  to  assist  in  Council  In  the 
ordination  at  Tyngsborough."  A  church  was  formed  here,  and 
the  Rev.  Nathaniel  Lawrence  (H.  C.  1787)  was  ordained  pas- 
tor, Jan.  6,  1790.  This  district  contained  at  the  time  three 
hundred  eighty-two  inhabitants,  of  whom  seventeen  were 
colored.  Dunstable  contained,  at  the  same  date,  three  hun- 
dred and  eighty  inhabitants,  of  whom  only  one  was  colored. 
The  Rev.  Mr.  Lawrence  continued  as  pastor  of  the  church  in 
Tyngsborough  until  his  sudden  death,  Feb.  5,  1843.  He  was 
buried  in  the  old  cemetery,  about  a  mile  northwest  of  Tyngs- 
borough Centre,  and  the  inscription  on  his  headstone  is,  "  In 
memory  of  Rev.  Nathaniel  Lawrence  who  died  on  Lord's  day, 
Feb.  5,  1843,  aet.  72^-.  Mr.  Lawrence  was  a  native  of  Woburn, 
Mass.  He  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1787,  and  on 
Jany  6,  1790,  was  ordained  Pastor  of  the  Congregational 
Society  in  Tyngsborough  which  relation  continued  49  years. 
On  the  morning  of  Feb  5  he  attended  church  as  usual  in 

*  Church  records. 


154  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

apparent  good  health,  but  on  returning  to  his  dwelling  very 
suddenly  expired.  His  death  was  that  of  the  righteous  &  his 
last  end  like  his."  His  wife  Hannah  died  Sept.  20,  1835,  in  the 
seventy-second  year  of  her  age,  and  was  buried  beside  him.* 

On  the  8th  of  February,  1790,  the  town  held  a  meeting  at  the 
school-house,  and  chose  a  committee  to  remonstrate  against 
Joseph  and  Josiah  Danforth,  Joseph  Upton,  and  John  Cum- 
mings  being  set  off  to  Tyngsborough. 

The  church  edifice  on  Meeting  House  Hill  was  removed  to 
Dunstable  Centre  in  1791,  and  finished  in  creditable  style. 
A  cut  of  it  is  presented,  and  it  will  be  seen  that  it  bore  exter- 
nally a  close  resemblance  to  the  meeting-house  in  Mason, 
N.  H. 

The  land  for  the  site  of  the  building,  consisting  of  one  acre 
and  one  hundred  and  thirty  rods,  was  well  chosen,  and  con- 
veyed by  Jonathan  Proctor  to  the  town  in  a  deed  bearing  date 
Aug.  25,  1790,  and  it  is  described  as  "the  land  on  which  the 
school-house  now  stands,  and  bounded  beginning  at  the  south- 
erly corner  of  said  land  at  a  heap  of  stones  by  the  road,  thence 
running  northerly  about  twenty  nine  rods  to  a  heap  of  stones 
by  a  black  oak  tree,  thence  south  forty  four  degrees  west,  twenty 
rods  to  a  heap  of  stones,  thence  south  six  and  a  half  degrees 
west,  eleven  rods  and  a  half  to  a  heap  of  stones  by  the  great 
road,  thence  east  eleven  degrees  south  by  the  north  side  of  the 
said  road  fourteen  rods  and  a  half  to  a  heap  of  stones  first 
mentioned."  The  deed  contains  this  condition,  "  that  the 
Inhabitants  of  the  said  Dunstable  shall  within  the  term  of 
three  years  from  the  date  hereof  have  caused  to  be  erected 
upon  the  said  land  a  Meeting  House  for  publick  worship  and  a 
School  House  and  shall  never  suffer  said  land  to  be  destitute 
of  said  buildings  for  more  than  three  years  at  any  time,  and 
that  no  other  building  shall  ever  be  erected  on  said  land  than 
such  as  shall  be  necessary  to  accommodate  the  Inhabitants 
when  attending  on  Publick  Worship."! 

*The  oldest  inscription  in  this  yard  is,  "  Here  Lyes  buried  ye  body  of  Mrs 
Huldah  Thompson,  daughter  of  Mr.  Simon  Thompson,  who  died  1752." 

t  Though  the  conditions  of  the  deed  have  not  been  met,  the  land  is  still  in  the 
possession  of  the  town. 


1793]  DEDICATION  OF  THE  MEETING-HOUSE,  155 

On  the  tenth  day  of  August,  1792,  David  Fletcher,  joiner, 
gave  bonds  to  Zebulon  Blodgett,  town  treasurer,  to  finish  the 
meeting-house  at  or  before  the  first  day  of  July,  1794.  He  was 
to  build  thirty-three  pe'ws  and  a  pulpit,  "  and  the  breastwork 
in  the  gallery  not  inferior  to  that  in  the  meeting-house  in 
Tyngsborough." 

It  was  delivered  in  presence  of  Joseph  and  Phineas 
Fletcher. 

By  an  act  of  the  General  Court,  passed  on  the  twenty-fifth 
day  of  February,  1793,  about  twenty  Groton  families  living  at 
Unquetynasset  were  annexed  to  Dunstable,  leaving  a  bound- 
ary line  with  eighty-six  angles  between  the  two  towns.  The 
transferring  of  families  with  their  farms,  by  an  Act  of  the 
Legislature,  from  one  town  to  another,  that  they  might  enjoy 
greater  educational  or  religious  privileges,  has  given  very 
crooked  boundary  lines  to  many  of  our  towns,  and  caused  much 
inconvenience.  Though  parting  with  some  of  its  people,  a 
town  should,  on  many  considerations,  retain  its  land.  The 
act  is  thus  referred  to  by  Mr.  Butler :  — 

"  PARTS  OF  GROTON  SET  OFF  TO  DUNSTABLE. 

"By  an  Act  of  the  Legislature  passed  Feb.  25,  1793,  on  the  petition  of 
sundry  inhabitants  of  the  north  part  of  Groton,  about  twenty  families  with 
their  estates  were  taken  from  Groton  and  annexed  to  Dunstable.  By  this 
the  jurisdictional  line  between  the  two  towns  formed  86  angles,  and  was 
attended  with  much  inconvenience.  It  continued,  however,  to  be  the 
boundary  line  till  Feb.  15,  1820,  when  by  another  Act  a  line  was  established 
taking  one  family  and  considerable  territory  from  Groton  and  annexing  it 
to  Dunstable  and  forming  but  five  angles."  —  Caleb  Butler's  History  of 
Groton,  p.  66. 

On  the  26th  of  September,  1793,  thirty-two  pews  in  the 
new  meeting-house  were  sold  at  public  vendue,  and  Zebedee 
Kendall  and  Philip  Butterfield  were  authorized  to  give  titles  to 
the  same.  Joel  and  Leonard  Parkhurst  bid  off  pew  numbered 
two  for  the  sum  of  ^15,  to  be  used  by  themselves  and  heirs 
"  so  long  as  said  meeting-house  shall  remain  on  the  same  spot 
of  ground  where  it  now  stands." 

The  edifice  was  dedicated  to  the  service  of  God,  "  agreeable 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


[l?94 


to  ancient  example  and  more  modern  practices,"  on  the  sec- 
ond day  of  October,  1793. 

The  following  ministers  were  invited  to  be  present,  viz.  : 
Mr.  Emerson  of  Hollis,  Mr.  Chaplin  of  Groton,  Mr.  Kidder 
of  Dunstable,  N.  H.,  Mr.  Lawrence  of  Tyngsborough,  Mr. 
Blake  of  Westford,  and  Mr.  Bullard  of  Pepperell.  The  latter 
clergyman  preached  the  sermon,  and  all  the  ministers  were 
entertained  at  Mr.  Isaac  Taylor's  at  the  cost  of  the  church. 
On  the  4th  of  November  Joel  Parkhurst  was  chosen  deacon. 

The  town  this  year  "  granted  a  bounty  of  one  shilling  for 
every  old  crow  and  six  pence  per  head  for  every  young  one 
that  may  be  actually  killed  within  the  town."  It  also  allowed 
Robert  Dunn,  Oliver  Taylor,  and  others  liberty  to  introduce 
a  Presbyterian  minister  a  part  of  the  time  into  the  pulpit. 

PLAN    OF    DUNSTABLE  TAKEN    IN    OCTOBER,   1794. 

"  Course  and  distance  of  the  East  line  of  Dunstable  beginning  at  the 
southeast  corner  thence  north  2  degrees  west  73  rods,  thence  north  20° 
W.  25  rods  ;  thence  north  25°  west  34  rods  ;  thence  north  34°  W.  1  1 
rods  ;  thence  north  72°  W  14  rods  ;  thence  N.  51°  W  7%  rods  ;  thence 
S  30°  W  8  rods  ;  thence  W  9°  N.  10  rods  ;  thence  N.  10°  E  8  rods  ; 
thence  E  2°  N  93  rods  ;  thence  N  2j°  E  580  rods  ;  thence  18°  W.  114 
rods  ;  thence  S  40°  West  70  rods  ;  thence  6°  East  41  rods  ;  thence  W  8° 
S  43  rods  ;  thence  N.  if  °  W.  50  rods  ;  thence  N  74  rods  ;  thence  N  30° 
East  14  rods  ;  thence  E  2°  N.  60  rods  ;  thence  W  32°  E  93  rods  ;  thence 
N  2.yz  E  66  rods  to  the  Province  Line. 

"  Course  of  distance  of  the  pricked  line  beginning  at  Massapog  pond 
thence  E  5°  N  33  rods  ;  thence  N  80°  E.  138  rods  ;  thence  N  22>£  E  170 
rods  ;  thence  S  23°  E  205  rods  ;  thence  E.  26^°  N  330  rods  ;  thence  N. 
33°  W  36  rods  ;  thence  E  8°  N  60  rods  ;  thence  N  12  W  24  rods  ;  thence 
E  5°  N  102  rods  ;  thence  E  2°  N  40  rods." 

By  this  plan  the  town  contains  9,584  acres,  exclusive  of 
Massapoag  Pond  and  of  what  is  claimed  by  Tyngsborough. 
The  New  Hampshire  line  is  given  as  running  west  8j°  north 
four  miles  and  200  rods.  The  Massapoag  Pond  (74  acres)  is 
included  almost  wholly  within  the  town,  and  the  Groton  line 
touches  the  Nashua  River,  near  the  mouth  of  Unquetynasset 
Brook. 

Having  heard  the  Rev.  Jabez  P.  Fisher  (B.  U.  1788)  for 


X799]  THE  REV'  MR'  HEYWOOD   ORDAINED. 

some  time  during  the  year  1794,  the  church  voted,  Dec.  4,  to 
extend  to  him  a  call  to  settle  ;  but  for  some  reason  he  declined 
to  accept  the  position. 

At  the  regular  town-meeting,  March  6,  1797,  it  was  voted 
to  purchase  a  burying-cloth,  and  $133.34  were  appropriated 
for  the  support  of  the  schools.  This  is  the  first  instance  on 
the  town  records  of  the  introduction  of  the  decimal  currency. 
On  the  1 8th  of  March  Leonard  Parkhurst  was  appointed  a 
coroner  for  the  county  of  Middlesex.  On  the  igth  of  Novem- 
ber, 1798,  the  town  extended  a  call  to  the  Rev.  Joshua  Hey- 
wood,  of  Amherst,  to  become  its  minister  ;  and  on  the  loth 
of  December  following  it  voted  to  concur  with  the  church  in 
its  choice  of  Mr.  Hey  wood,  and  to  give  him  $333  for  a  settle- 
ment, and  $266.66  for  his  annual  salary.  A  few  persons,  not 
entirely  satisfied  with  the  action  of  the  church  and  town  in 
respect  to  the  settlement  of  Mr.  Heywood,  formed  themselves 
into  a  Baptist  society,  which  had  but  a  brief  existence  Their 
action  is  expressed  in  the  following  paper,  copied  from  the 
town  records :  — 

"  Whereas  the  people  of  Dunstable  that  are  Congregationalists  by  pro- 
fession are  about  to  settle  a  minister  for  the  Inhabitants  of  this  town,  we 
whose  names  are  hereto  subscribed,  think  that  the  Baptist  profession  is 
much  more  agreeable  to  the  Scripture  of  truth,  &  having  formed  a 
Society,  we  claim  it  as  our  right  to  choose  our  own  teacher,  &  to  con- 
tract with  &  pay  him  without  molestation  or  subordination  from  any 
other,  agreeably  to  our  conviction. 

"Dec.  18,  1798. 

"SAMUEL  TAYLOR.  JONAS  TAYLOR,  Jr. 

BENJAMIN  SWALLOW.  OLIVER  CUMMINGS. 

ZIMRI  KENDALL.  JONATHAN  PROCTOR. 

EBENEZER  FRENCH.  JOSEPH  SPAULDING." 
JOHN  INGALLS. 

The  ordination  of  Mr.  Heywood  took  place  on  the  fifth  day 
of  June,  1799,  the  following  ministers  taking  part  in  the  ser- 
vices :  the  Rev.  Caleb  Blake  commenced  with  prayer  ;  the 
Rev.  John  Bruce  preached  the  sermon,  from  Mark  xvi,  15,  16  ; 
the  Rev.  John  Bullard  made  the  ordaining  prayer  ;  the  Rev. 
Henry  Cummings  gave  the  charge  ;  the  Rev.  Daniel  Chaplin 
gave  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  ;  and  the  Rev.  Moses  Brad- 


1 5  g  HIS  TOR  Y  OF  DUNS  TABLE.  [  i  SoO 

ford  offered  the  concluding  prayer.  The  expense  to  the  town 
for  the  ordination  was  $23. 

At  the  incoming  of  the  present  century  Dunstable  was  in  a 
prosperous  condition.  Its  population  had  increased  to  four 
hundred  and  eighty-five  persons  ;  it  had  a  good  church  edifice, 
a  new  and  popular  minister,  and  no  very  serious  difficulty 
agitated  the  minds  of  the  people. 

In  April,  1800,  the  church  chose  Deacon  Zebedee  Kendall, 
Capt.  J.  Fletcher,  and  Capt.  S.  Stevens  a  committee  to  attend 
the  meetings  of  the  singing  school,  for  the  purpose  of  choosing 
leaders,  and  it  also  invited  all  "  who  are  skilled  in  sacred  har- 
mony to  come  forward  and  assist  the  church  in  that  part  of 
public  worship."  On  the  4th  of  August  the  town  voted  to 
provide  for  each  of  its  soldiers  who  should  attend  the  muster 
to  be  held  at  Concord,  2  Ibs.  of  beef,  I  Ib.  of  pork,  i£lbs.  of 
cheese,  and  4  Ibs.  of  bread  made  of  rye-flour  ;  also  six  ounces  of 
powder.  It  also  voted  to  the  company  one  and  a  half  barrels 
of  cider  and  eight  gallons  of  West  India  rum,  the  whole  cost 
of  which  articles  was  $60.20.  The  following  is  the  roll  of  the 
company :  — 

Captain. 
JOSIAH  CUMINGS. 

Lieutenant. 
JOSIAH  STEVENS. 

Ensign. 
ABRAHAM  SWALLOW. 

Sergeants. 

JONAS  KENDALL.  JERAHMEEL  C.  PRATT. 

JEPTHA  STEVENS.  ISAAC  WOODS. 

Drummer. 
JOSIAH  W.  BLODGETT. 

Fifers. 

PHILIP  BUTTERFIELD.        JAMES  CUMINGS. 
CALEB  READ. 


i8oo] 


A   SOCIAL  LIBRARY. 


159 


HENRY  BLOOD. 
CALEB  BLOOD. 
JOSEPH  BENNETT. 
THOMAS  BENNETT. 
JEREMIAH  CUMINGS. 
NATHL  CUMINGS,  3. 
JOHN  CUMINGS. 
MICHEL  CARTER. 
DAVIS  CHAPMAN. 
IMLY  COREY. 
AMOS  EASTMAN. 
JONA  EMERSON. 
PHINEHAS  FLETCHER. 
JOSEPH  FLETCHER,  Jr. 
JOHN  FRENCH. 
JOHN  FOSTER. 
PETER  GILSON. 
WM.  HARDY. 
TEMPLE  KENDALL,  Jr. 
JOSIAH  KENDALL. 
ZEBEDEE  KENDALL. 


SAMUEL  KENDALL. 
JOSEPH  PARKHURST,  Jr. 
NATHAN  PROCTOR. 
PETER  PROCTOR. 
JAMES  PROCTOR. 
ELIJAH  ROBBINS. 
ZACHARIAH  RICHARDSON. 
PARKER  STEVENS. 
SAMSON  SWALLOW. 
JAMES  TAYLOR. 
ISAAC  TAYLOR,  Jr. 
DANIEL  TAYLOR. 
JOSIAH  TAYLOR. 
PETER  TURRIL. 
NOAH  WOODS. 
JONAS  WOODS. 
AMOS  WOODS,  Jr. 
JOHN  WRIGHT. 
EBEN  WILLIAMS. 
JOSEPH  UPTON. 
ABIJAH  READ. 


Total  rank  and  file,  42. 


A  social  library  was  established  in  this  town  Feb.  17,  1800, 
and  continued,  until  within  a  few  years,  to  diffuse  intelligence 
amongst  the  people.  The  names  of  the  original  shareholders 
are  :  — 


Capt.  JONATHAN  FLETCHER. 
JOEL  PARKHURST,  Esq. 
Dea.  ZEBEDEE  KENDALL. 
ISAAC  WRIGHT. 
JONAS  TAYLOR. 
CALEB  WOODS. 
SILAS  JOHNSON. 
TEMPLE  KENDALL. 
JOSIAH  BLODGETT. 
LEONARD  BUTTERFIELD. 
OLIVER  TAYLOR. 
Lt.  JOHN  CHENEY. 
JOHN  WRIGHT,  3d. 
JAMES  TAYLOR. 
PETER  PROCTOR. 
Lt.  ZEBULON  BLODGETT. 
SALLY  BUTTERFIELD. 
JOSIAH  KENDALL. 
JOSEPH  KENDALL. 
Dr.  MICAH  ELDREDGE. 


JOSIAH  STEVENS. 
ASA  WOODS. 
JAMES  TAYLOR,  Jr. 
Capt.  PHILIP  BUTTERFIELD. 
TEMPLE  KENDALL,  Jr. 
WM.  FRENCH. 
JERAHMEEL  C.  PRATT. 
PETER  SWALLOW. 
Capt.  SAML  STEVENS. 
ALLEN  EMERSON. 
ZACHARIAH  RICHARDSON. 
DANIEL  TAYLOR. 
JEPTHA  STEVENS. 
THOMAS  BENNETT. 
TIMOTHY  WOODWARD. 
JONA  WOODWARD,  Jr. 
NATHL  CUMMINGS. 
GEORGE  BETTERLY. 
CYRUS  TAYLOR. 
JONA  BENNETT. 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTAB1.E.  [1803 

AMOS  EASTMAN.  JOEL  KEYES. 

JERE  CUMMINGS.  HENJ.  KENDALL. 

ASA  SWALLOW.  I i ONARD  KENDALL. 

SAML  FLETCHKR.  JAMES  SWALLOW. 
JAMES  CUMMINGS. 

It  continued  till  1841. 

An  agricultural  library  was  subsequently  formed  in  town, 
but  its  books,  like  those  of  the  social  library,  are  now  scat- 
tered among  the  families.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  measures 
will  soon  be  taken  for  the  establishment  of  a  permanent  town 
library  on  a  liberal  basis. 

The  town  cast  thirty-three  votes  for  Joseph  B.  Varnum  and 
ten  for  Timothy  Bigelow,  as  representatives  to  Congress. 

In  1801  Isaac  Wright,  Jonas  French,  and  Nathaniel  Cum 
mings  were  chosen  selectmen.  Isaac  Wright  was  chosen 
town  clerk.  The  town  gave  forty-eight  votes  for  Elbridge 
Gerry  as  governor,  and  chose  the  Hon.  John  Pitts  representa- 
tive to  the  General  Court.  In  September  it  voted  "  to  fence 
their  burial  ground  near  Gersham  Proctors."  It  also  voted 
$60  for  a  bridge  over  Salmon  Brook,  and  to  open  a  road  from 
Simeon  Cummings's  house  across  the  said  brook.  The  church, 
July  2,  made  choice  of  Isaac  Taylor  as  one  of  its  deacons  ;  he 
declined  the  office. 

The  town  voted  in  1802  to  have  John  Woods,  John  Woods, 
Jr.,  Thomas  Bennett,  and  Ebenezer  Proctor  (of  Groton)  an- 
nexed to  Dunstable. 

The  ensuing  year  it  voted  $40  for  purchasing  a  set  of  weights 
and  measures,  and  also  to  raise  $30  for  the  support  of  a  singing 
school.  The  territory  of  the  town  was  divided  in  five  school 
districts,  and  cattle  and  horses  were  not  permitted  to  run  at 
large.  Abraham  Swallow,  Capt.  Jeptha  Stevens,  and  Ensign 
Peter  Proctor,  Aug.  29,  took  the  oath  of  allegiance. 

Efforts  at  various  times  had  been  made  to  introduce  the  bass- 
viol  into  the  church  service,  but  serious  objections  were  urged 
against  it.  One  called  it  "  the  Lord's  fiddle,"  and  another  said 
he  should  get  up  and  dance  if  it  came  into  church.  At  one 
meeting  it  was  "  voted  to  suspend  the  introduction  of  the  Bass 
Viol  for  the  present  on  account  of  an  objection  made  by  Lieut. 


1809] 


INCORPORATION  OF  TYNGSBOROUGH. 


Simeon  Cummings  "  ;  but  on  the  2Oth  of  March,  1804,  the 
innocent  instrument  triumphed  over  all  opposition,  the  church 
voting  that  the  bass-viol  be  introduced  into  the  meeting-house 
on  days  of  public  worship,  and  that  those  who  have  skill  to  use 
it,  bring  it  and  perform  on  Sabbath  days. 

The  Middlesex  Canal,  extending  from  Boston  to  a  point 
about  a  mile  above  Pawtucket  Falls,  in  the  Merrimack  River, 
and  once  considered  a  grand  achievement,  was  opened  this 
year,  and  by  it  transportation  of  lumber,  cattle,  and  grain  from 
D  unstable  to  the  metropolis  was  facilitated.  The  canal  was 
about  twenty-seven  miles  long,  thirty  feet  wide,  and  three  feet 
deep,  and  served  as  a  conveyance  of  merchandise  from  the 
Merrimack  River  to  Boston  until  the  opening  of  the  Boston 
and  Lowell  Railroad  in  1836,  when  the  use  of  the  canal  was 
gradually  superseded.  Both  of  these  institutions,  in  turn, 
advanced  the  agricultural  interests  of  D  unstable  ;  and  as  the 
people  for  the  most  part  manufactured  their  own  clothing  and 
supplied  their  tables  from  their  farms,  they  did  not  suffer  so 
much  as  those  of  some  other  towns  in  the  war  that  followed. 
They  raised  more  than  they  consumed,  they  paid  but  little 
regard  to  fashion,  they  were  'industrious,  independent,  and 
therefore  prosperous. 

The  town  in  1805  provided  a  book  containing  the  Constitu- 
tion of  the  United  States  for  each  of  its  schools,  and  the  next 
year  voted  $700  for  building  five  school-houses.  A  disagree- 
ment between  Phineas  Fletcher  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Heywood 
commenced  this  year,  which  two  or  three  successive  church 
councils  could  not  remove,  and  which  continued  to  disturb  the 
harmony  of  the  church  for  many  years.  It  probably  origi- 
nated in  some  trivial  remark,  and  increased  by  its  repetition 
until  the  whole  community  became  weary  of  the  contest. 

In  1807  a  man  was  allowed  $i  per  day  for  working  on  the 
public  roads.  The  meeting-house  had  not  been  entirely  comr 
pleted,  and  it  was  voted  in  April  "  to  sell  ground  for  pews, 
therein." 

The  district  of  Tyngsborough  was  incorporated  as  a  town 
Feb.  28,  1809,  and  the  population  of  Dunstable  was  thereby 
greatly  diminished. 


162 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTAIiLE. 


[1811 


In  May,  1810,  the  town  chose  for  the  first  time  a  regular 
school  committee  to  visit  and  examine  the  schools  in  con- 
secutive order.  The  following  persons  were  chosen  :  Paul 
Thorndike,  Edmund  Page,*  Nathaniel  Cummings,  Micah  El- 
dredge,  and  Jonathan  Bennett.  It  voted,  Dec.  3,  "to  purchase 
a  hearse  for  the  town's  use."  The  number  of  inhabitants  at 
this  time  was  475.  Capt.  Jonas  Kendall  was  the  commander 
of  the  soldiers,  whose  names  are  contained  in  the  following 
list :  — 

I,  the  subscriber,  do  request  of  the  Selectmen  of  the  town  of  Dunstable 
the  quantity  of  powder  allowed  the  soldiers  by  law.  The  following  list 
contains  the  number  of  Soldiers  in  said  town  : — 


JONATHAN  BENNETT, 
AMAZIAH  SWALLOW, 
JOHN  PROCTOR, 
FRANCIS  FLETCHER, 
JONA.  PROCTOR. 
ELIJAH  CHAPMAN. 
MARK  FLETCHER. 
JOHN  GUMMING. 
ISAAC  CUMMING. 
DAVIS  CHAPMAN,  Jr, 
KENDALL  CHENEY. 
JOHN  FRENCH. 
WM.  FRENCH. 
NEHEMIAH  GILSON. 
OLIVER  GILSON. 
RICHARD  HARRINGTON. 
JAMES  INGALLS. 
JOSEPH  KENDALL,  Jr. 
SAML.  KENDALL. 
LEVI  KEMP. 
JOEL  KEYES. 
PKABODY  KEYES. 
ASA  LAWRENCE. 
EDMUND  PAGE. 

DUNSTABLE,  Oct.  4,  1810. 


Seargents. 


CLARK  PARKER. 
JAMES  PROCTOR. 
LEVI  PARKER. 
NATHAN  PROCTOR. 
JOHN  PRATT. 

WlLLARD   ROBBINS. 

SAML.  ROBY. 
JOSEPH  W.  ROBY. 
DAVID  SWALLOW. 
ARCHELAUS  SWALLOW. 
KENDALL  SWALLOW. 
JAMES  SWALLOW. 
ABEL  SPAULDING,  Jr. 
JAMES  TAYLOR. 
CYRUS  TAYLOR. 
ISAAC  TAYLOR,  Jr. 
SAMUEL  TAYLOR. 
ASA  WOODS. 
HENRY  WOODS. 
WILLIAM  WOODS. 
ISAAC  WOODS. 
GEORGE  WRIGHT. 
OLIVER  WILLOUGHBY. 

JONAS  KENDALL,  Caff. 


By  the  State  law  passed  in   1811,  permitting  persons   to 
attend  and  support  the  worship  of  any  denomination  instead 


*  He  kept  a  store  and  tavern  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  and  held  various  public 
offices. 


l8ll]  PROPOSITION  OF  MR.   HEY  WOOD. 

of  that  of  the  town,  it  was  feared  that  by  the  withdrawal  of 
many  attendants  on  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Heywood  the  burden 
of  taxation  might  become  very  heavy  on  those  that  remained, 
and  he,  therefore,  in  a  communication  to  the  town,  generously 
proposed  to  relinquish  as  much  of  his  salary  as  would  equal 
the  amount  of  the  deficit  under  the  operation  of  the  new  law. 
The  committee  appointed  to  attend  to  this  matter  brought  in 
their  report  as  follows  :  — 

The  committe  chosen  by  the  town  of  Dunstable  at  their  last  meeting 
Sept.  2,  1811,  to  represent  to  and  consult  with  the  Rev.  Joshua  Heywood 
respecting  the  State  of  public  worship  in  the  town,  have  attended  to  that 
service  and  offer  the  following  statements  of  the  Revr  Mr  Heywood  as 
their  report. 

DUNSTABLE,  Sept  14,  1811. 

ZEBEDEE  KENDALL,      1 
MICAH  ELDREDGE,        I    Comm 
NATHANIEL  CUMINGS,  f    ittee. 
JOHN  CHENEY. 

To  THE  INHABITANTS  OF  THE  TOWN  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

Gentlemen,  Whereas  your  Committee  chosen  by  you  in  town  meeting  the 
2d  of  September  181 1,  have  represented  to,  and  consulted  with  me  on  the 
situation  of  the  town  respecting  public  worship,  and  having  represented  to 
me  that  there  are,  in  the  minds  of  many  apprehensions  of  pecuniary  embar- 
rassments in  consequence  of  an  Act  passed  at  the  last  session  of  the 
General  Court  of  this  Commonwealth  relating  to  religious  freedom  ;  I  do 
with  their  advice  and  concurrence,  make  the  following  statement  to 
you :  — 

As  I  did  in  my  answer  to  the  call  given  me  to  settle  as  a  gospel  minis- 
ter in  this  place  bring  to  your  view  the  impropriety  of  making  the 
stipulation  between  a  people  and  their  minister,  a  matter  of  pecuniary 
speculation  and  as  you  complyed  with  it ;  I  ever  thought  that  we  were 
bound  on  both  sides,  never  to  do  any  such  thing.  I  do  therefore  now 
most  solemnly  record  my  protest  against  it. 

But  conceiveing  it  to  be  duty  of  a  people  and  their  minister  to  be  always 
helpfull  to  each  other  ;  under  all  difficulties  and  embarrassments  ;  to  per- 
form this  duty  therefore  towards  you  now  labouring  under  apprehensions 
of  embarrassment  I  propose  to  you  that  provided  the  said  Act  of  the 
General  Court,  above  mentioned,  shall  not  be  repealed ;  but  be  put  in 
execution  to  your  damage,  so  that  your  ministerial  taxes  shall  be  increased 
thereby  ;  upon  the  valuations  of  your  estates  ;  and  provided  there  shall  be 
a  majority  of  the  town,  who  attend  the  public  worship  of  GOD  with  the 
Congregational  Church  of  Christ,  as  heretofore  done  in  the  house  now 


1 64  HISTOR  Y  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [  F  8 1  2 

built  for  that  purpose,  under  the  regular  administration  thereof ;  which  by 
divine  Providence  shall  be  provided,  I  will  relinquish  so  much  of  my 
salery  for  the  present  year,  as  the  increase  upon  their  ministerial  taxes 
shall  be  ;  The  year  to  begin  the  first  of  March,  181 1,  and  end  the  first  of 
March,  1812.  That  no  encouragement  be  taken  herefrom  by  parties  to 
the  damage  of  the  town,  I  reserve  the  consideration  of  any  relinquishment 
in  future  years,  to  my  own  judgement  of  the  circumstances  which  may 
then  exist. 

My  design  and  intent,  in  this  proposal  and  engagement  is  to  relieve 
the  town  from  their  present  apprehension  and  embarrassment,  and  to 
have  them  attend  on  the  public  worship  of  GOD  in  as  orderly  and  regu- 
lar manner  as  they  can  under  the  present  difficulties,  and  to  prevent  the 
introduction  of  such  irregularities  as  would  be  to  the  damage  of  the  town 
and  church. 

If  this  proposal  give  satisfaction  to  your  minds,  and  meet  your  approba- 
tion and  you  use  your  endeavours  to  carry  the  things  proposed  into  effect, 
then  this  instrument  by  me  signed  shall  be  in  full  force,  otherwise  it  shall 
be  void  and  of  no  effect. 

JOSHUA  HEYWOOD. 

DUNSTABLE,  Sept.  nth  1811. 

A  few  soldiers  from  Dtmstable  engaged  in  what  was  called 
Mr.  Madison's  war  of  1812,  and  it  will  be  seen  by  the  follow- 
ing paper  that  the  town  supplied  them  with  ammunition  :  — 

SOLDIERS  OF  THE  WAR  OF  1812. 

DUNSTABLE,  July  i,  1812. 

We  the  subscribers  have  each  received  of  the  Selectmen  of  the  Town 
of  Dunstable  twenty-four  cartridges  with  balls,  also  two  flints  each,  it 
being  in  full  of  our  respective  shares  of  the  town  stock,  which  we  severally 
promise  to  return  to  the  said  Selectmen  at  the  expiration  of  the  term  for 
which  we  are  engaged,  if  the  same  shall  not  be  actually  expended  in  the 
service  of  the  United  States  :  — 

JESSE  BLOOD,  Corp.  JOHN  PRATT. 

OLIVER  GILSON.  NATHAN  PROCTOR. 

ABEL  JOHNSON.  HENRY  WOODS. 

BENJAMIN  WEFHERBEE. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  Peter  Kendall  went  into  the  war, 
came  home  sick,  and  hired  Nehemiah  Gilson  as  a  substitute. 
Noah  Woods  enlisted,  and  served  through  the  whole  war. 
Isaac  Gilson,  Jonathan  Woodward,  Jr.,  Jonathan  Swallow,  Jr., 
and  Samuel  Kendall  were  in  the  war.  Jonathan  Emerson  and 


1813] 


A   MALIGNANT  FEVER. 


Benjamin  Parker  also  enlisted,  and  both  died  at  Sackett's 
Harbor. 

In  1812  the  town  "  voted  and  chose  Isaac  Taylor,  Jr.,  to 
attend  funerals  with  the  hearse,  &  to  allow  him  $  i  for  each 
funeral  he  should  attend."  This  year  was  very  damp  and  cold. 
A  snow-storm  commenced  on  the  4th  of  May,  and  continued 
twenty-four  hours.  Very  little  Indian  corn  came  to  maturity. 

In  1813  the  town  cast  sixty-five  votes  for  Joseph  B.  Varnum, 
of  Dracut,  as  governor.  The  school  committee  consisted  of 
Deacon  Zebedee  Kendall,  Edmund  Page,  Davis  Chapman, 
Mark  Fletcher,  and  James  Taylor.  The  last-named  citizen 
was  chosen,  Sept.  19,  deacon  of  the  church. 

Of  those  doing  service  in  the  army  at  this  time,  Orderly 
Sergeant  John  Woodward,  Jr.,  died  at  Sackett's  Harbor,  Sept. 
4,  and  a  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Heywood  at 
Dunstable,  Oct.  24,  in  commemoration  of  the  virtues  of  this 
brave  soldier.  The  sermon  was  afterwards  published.  In  a 
letter  to  his  parents,  dated  Sackett's  Harbor,  Aug.  17,  1813, 
Sergt.  Woodward  says,  "  Gen.  Harrison  has  taken  Gen.  Proc- 
tor's army.  It  is  said  that  he  took  six  hundred  men,  which 
I  suppose  to  be  true.  It  is  expected  that  our  fleet  will  have 
this  day  an  engagement  with  the  British  fleet.  If  they  should 
capture  them,  it  is  thought  there  will  be  peace."  Of  Sergeant 
Woodward  his  captain,  Horace  H.  Watson,  wrote,  "  As  a  man 
he  .  was  honest,  upright,  and  virtuous  ;  as  a  soldier,  prompt, 
attentive,  and  respectful  ;  and  as  a  Christian,  sincere,  mild, 
and  forgiving."  His  remains  repose  in  the  Central  Cemetery, 
and  the  inscription  on  his  headstone  is  :  — 

"  IN   MEMORY  OF   MR.   JOHN   WOODWARD   JR.,  WHO   DIED    SEPT.   4,  1813, 
AGED  23  YEARS. 

Sacketts  Harbor  is  the  place 
Where  my  body  lies  at  rest 
There  at  rest  it  must  remain 
Till  the  dead  are  raised  again." 

The  spotted  fever,  fastening  on  the  robust  and  strong  as  well 
as  on  the  weak  and  feeble,  proved  very  fatal  during  the  year 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE  [1814 

1813.  The  following  persons  died,  mostly  by  this  disease,  dur- 
ing the  course  of  the  year  :  Mary,  daughter  of  Leonard  Butter- 
field,  Jan.  22,  aged  15  years  ;  Benjamin  Estabrook,  Jan.  24, 
aged  68  years  ;  Elmira,  daughter  of  Capt.  Kendall,  Jan.  27  ; 
Mary  Blood,  widow  of  James  Blood,  Feb.  u,  aged  88  years  ; 
Asa  Swallow,  aged  45  years,  Feb.  1 5  ;  Caleb  Blood,  Feb.  23  ; 
Joseph  Parkhurst,  aged  67  years,  March  7  ;  Sarah,  wife  of  Isaac 
Taylor,  aged  59  years,  March  10  ;  Lieut.  Zebulon  Blodgett, 
aged  60  years,  March  21  ;  Sarah,  wife  of  Peter  Blood,  March 
22  ;  Capt.  Jonathan  Fletcher,  aged  72  years,  March  28  ;  Peter 
Swallow,  aged  69  years,  April  7  ;  Ensign  Samuel  Fletcher, 
April  10;  Nathaniel  Cummings,  aged  45  years,  April  17; 
Edmund,  son  of  Silas  Parkhurst,  aged  2  years,  April  18  ; 
Edward  Kendall,  aged  78  years,  May  26  ;  Betsy  Robbins,  July 
22  ;  Mary,  wife  of  Jonas  Taylor,  Dec.  5  ;  Gershom  Proctor, 
Dec.  17,  aged  60  years.  Such  a  fearful  mortality  the  town  had 
never  before  experienced,  nor  was  the  cause  of  the  fever  ever 
satisfactorily  determined.  Sybil,  widow  of  Capt.  Oliver  Cum- 
mings, who  died  Dec.  16,  of  the  preceding  year,  was  the  first 
victim  of  the  disease.  Though  many  were  sick  with  this  fever 
in  Tyngsborough  at  the  time,  the  whole  of  them  recovered. 

On  the  8th  of  October,  1814,  Mr.  Silas  Johnson  was  acci- 
dentally killed  by  falling  from  an  apple-tree  on  the  northerly 
side  of  Forest  Hill.  The  sad  event  is  thus  recorded  on  his 
headstone  in  the  Central  Cemetery  : — 

"  IN    MEMORY    OF    MR.    SlLAS   JOHNSON    WHO    WAS    KILLED   BY   A    FALL 
FROM   A   TREE    OCT.  8  1814   AGED   69  YEARS. 

Alas,  how  distant  was  the  thought 

When  I  the  tree  ascended, 
That  I  should  to  the  ground  be  brought, 

And  there  my  life  be  ended." 

His  widow,  Rebecca  Johnson,  died  Oct.  19,  1823,  aged  60 
years. 

On  Nov.  it,  1814,  the  town  was  called  to  deplore  the  loss 
by  death  of  its  beloved  pastor,  the  Rev.  Joshua  Heywoocl.  He 
was  buried  on  the  I4th,  the  Rev.  Daniel  Chaplin,  of  Groton, 


1815] 


PROSPERITY  OF  THE    TOWN. 


preaching  the  funeral  sermon  from  Revelation  xiv,  13.  "  Blessed 
are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord."  Mr.  Heywood  was 
graduated  at  Dartmouth  College,  in  the  class  of  1795.  He 
married  Lydia  French,  of  Boston,  Jan.  27,  1  800.  He  was  a 
large  man,  of  dark  complexion,  dignified  and  courteous  in  his 
demeanor,  and  highly  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  was 
buried  in  the  Central  Cemetery,  and  the  following  words  are 
inscribed  on  his  headstone:  — 

"IN   MEMORY   OF    REV.    JOSHUA    HEYWOOD,   WHO   DIED    NOV.    II,    1814, 

AGED    51. 

Nor  pain,  nor  grief,  nor  anxious  fear 
Invades  thy  bounds  :  no  mortal  woes 

Can  reach  the  peaceful  sleeper  here 
While  angels  watch  the  soft  repose." 

The  signal  victory  of  Gen.  Andrew  Jackson  over  the  British 
forces  under  Gen.  Packingham,  at  New  Orleans,  on  the  8th  of 
January  (1815),  terminated  the  war,  and  on  the  eighteenth 
day  of  February  following,  President  James  Madison  issued  a 
proclamation  of  peace.  This  was  hailed  by  the  people  of 
D  unstable  with  the  liveliest  expressions  of  joy.  A  day  was 
set  apart  for  the  celebration  of  the  gladsome  event,  and  three 
companies,  one  consisting  of  veterans  of  the  Revolution,  an- 
other of  the  enrolled  militia,  and  still  another  of  the  boys  of 
the  town,  paraded  on  the  Common.  The  people  assembled  in 
their  gala-day  attire,  and  when  the  soldiers  had  gone  through 
with  their  evolutions,  all  partook  of  a  bountiful  collation,  and 
then,  repairing  to  the  church,  they  listened  to  a  patriotic 
address  from  the  Rev.  John  Peckins,  a  Baptist  minister  of 
Chelmsford. 

In  the  general  prosperity  which  followed  the  long  and 
exhausting  war,  Dunstable,  though  not  in  a  condition  to 
engage  directly  in  the  manufacturing  interests  then  absorbing 
the  attention  of  the  State,  made  improvements  in  its  tillage, 
in  its  roads,  its  schools,  and  private  residences.  The  people 
increased  in  wealth,  in  numbers,  and  intelligence.  The  barns 
were  filled  with  plenty,  and  a  more  generous  style  of  living 
soon  became  apparent.  Newspapers  were  taken,  the  chaise 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABI.E.  [l8l6 

and  Jersey  wagon  began  to  appear  in  the  streets,  the  singing 
school  was  well  patronized,  a  better  kind  of  headstones  were 
raised  over  the  dead,  and  the  use  of  ardent  spirits  was  aban- 
doned at  church  festivals  and  funerals. 

The  town,  in  concurrence  with  the  church,  voted,  July  24, 
1815,  to  extend  a  call  to  Mr.  Levi  Hartshorn,  of  Amherst,  to 
settle  with  them  as  pastor,  offering  him  $400  for  a  "  settle- 
ment" and  $450  per  annum  for  salary,  but  he  declined,  Sept. 
4,  to  accept  the  office. 

On  the  second  day  of  September  occurred  what  was  long 
known  as  "  the  great  gale."  The  wind  blew  with  such  violence 
from  the  southeast  and  south  as  to  overturn  fences,  chimneys, 
fruit  and  forest  trees,  and  in  some  instances,  barns  and  dwell- 
ing-houses. About  sixty  chimneys  were  blown  over  in  Boston, 
and  seventeen  houses  were  unroofed  in  Dorchester.  A  poet 
wrote  of  it,  — 

"  For  low  the  favorite  elms  are  laid, 
Which  wrapped  me  in  their  folding  shade, 
While  the  rich  fruit  tree's  nectared  store 
Will  wave  its  blooming  gold  no  more." 

Columbian  Centinel,  September,  1815. 

This  was  the  severest  storm  that  had  occurred  in  New 
England  since  Aug.  15,  1635,  when,  according  to  the  histo- 
rian William  Hubbard,  "  many  houses  were  blown  down, 
many  more  uncovered.  The  Indian  corn  was  beat  down  to 
the  ground  so  as  not  to  rise  again.  The  tide  at  Narragansett 
rose  twenty  feet  perpendicularly.  The  Indians  were  obliged 
to  betake  themselves  to  the  trees,  and  yet  many  of  them  were 
drowned  by  the  return  of  the  tide  before  the  usual  hour." 

The  year  1816  was  remarkable  for  the  severity  of  the  cold. 
Frosts  appeared  during  each  of  the  summer  months,  and  the 
crop  of  Indian  corn  was  mostly  destroyed.  A  large  spot  was 
observed  upon  the  disk  of  the  sun,  and  on  the  9th  of  June 
there  was  a  fall  of  snow. 

On  Sept.  1 6  of  this  year  the  town  concurred  with  the 
church  in  calling  the  Rev.  Luther  Wright  (H.  C.  1796)  to  be 
their  minister,  but  he  also  gave  a  negative  to  the  invitation. 


l8l8] 


ADMISSIONS   TO    THE   CHURCH. 


In  the  year  1817  the  town  raised  $300  for  schools,  and  the 
same  amount  for  preaching  ;  it  also  repaired  and  painted  the 
meeting-house.  The  pulpit  was  in  part  supplied  by  the  Rev. 
Jabez  P.  Fisher.  Dr.  Micah  Eldredge  was  the  town  clerk. 

The  church  in  1817-1818  was  favored  with  an  extensive 
revival,  and  as  many  as  seventy-three  persons,  many  of  whom 
were  heads  of  families,  made  a  profession  of  religion.  Of  this 
revival  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  Spaulding  gives  some  account  in  a 
sermon  preached  in  Dunstable,  Nov.  19,  1865.  He  says  that 
"in  the  latter  part  of  August,  1817,  the  Rev.  Jabez  P.  Fisher 
arrived  in  town  and  commenced  a  faithful  proclamation  of  the 
gospel.  By  his  advice  the  church  soon  appointed  a  weekly 
meeting  to  pray  especially  for  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  If  the  Sabbath  school  was  a  bow  of  promise  on  the 
cloud,  this  meeting  was  the  bow  reduplicated. 

"  The  church  then  numbered  but  ten  males  and  twenty-seven 
females,  thirty-seven  in  all,  and  these  resembled  the  weeping 
captives  by  the  rivers  of  Babylon.  Worldliness,  Sabbath-break- 
ing, intemperance,  and  the  like  sins,  had  come  in  like  a  flood. 
In  the  language  of  the  church,  as  expressed  and  published  by 
one  of  its  officers,  '  Mirth  and  vain  amusements  much  en- 
grossed the  attention  of  the  young  people.  Others,  more 
advanced  in  life,  were  unconcerned  for  their  souls.'  As  the 
work  (of  the  revival)  went  on,  the  public  morals  improved,  and 
for  years  after  few  towns  were  more  free  from  open  immorality 
and  vice."  • 

"  On  the  thirtieth  day  of  November  four  were  received  to  the 
communion  of  this  church  on  profession  of  their  faith,  on  the 
first  Sabbath  in  February  thirty-two,  on  the  8th  of  March, 
five,  and  on  other  occasions  seventeen,  making  fifty-eight  new 
members,  —  more  than  doubling  its  number  and  quadrupling 
its  strength.  There  were  some  fifteen  others  who  gave  cred- 
ible evidence  of  having  passed  from  death  unto  life,  whose 
youth  or  peculiar  circumstances  caused  a  delay  of  their  pub- 
lic admission  to  the  church.  Thus  it  appears  that  seventy- 
three,  or  nearly  one  seventh  of  the  entire  population  of  the 
town  (475),  had  recently  been  hopefully  converted  to  God,  and 
one  fifth  of  the  inhabitants  were  members  of  the  church  of 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

Christ."  In  speaking  of  those  then  converted,  Dr.  Spauiding 
said,  "  Of  the  fifty-eight  received  into  this  church  as  the  im- 
mediate fruits  of  that  revival,  only  six  remain  in  town.  Six 
have  been  excommunicated,  two  of  whom  have  died.  Of 
twelve  dismissed  and  recommended  to  other  churches,  or  lost 
sight  of  in  other  parts  of  the  country,  a  majority  are,  doubtless, 
numbered  with  the  dead.  So  also  with  the  remaining  thirty- 
four  ;  their  names  are  starred  on  the  records  of  the  church,  and 
we  trust  they  star  the  crown  of  their  Redeemer  in  glory.  At 
least  five  sixths  of  the  sixty-eight  have  gone  to  their  final  re- 
wards, leaving  only  about  fifteen  survivors." 

•  "  Thus  star  by  star  declines, 

Till  all  are  passed  away, 
As  morning  high  and  higher  shines 

To  pure  and  perfect  day  ; 
Nor  sink  those  stars  in  empty  night, 
But  lose  themselves  in  heaven's  own  light." 

Sometimes  you  see  the  sun  go  down,  shining  as  he  departs 
with  new  brightness  and  glory.  So  some  of  them  have  de- 
parted. Some  of  those  peaceful,  triumphant  death-bed  scenes 
are  still  fragrant  in  your  memories.  Dr.  Micah  Eldredge  was 
sustained  in  his  last  days  and  hours  by  the  hope  he  received, 
the  doctrines  he  cherished,  the  Saviour  he  embraced  in  that 
revival.  Deacon  Mark  Fletcher  literally  slept  in  Jesus,  so 
peaceful  was  his. end.  Deacon  Isaac  Taylor's  mental  faculties 
towards  the  last  were  clouded  by  disease,  yet  his  whole  Chris- 
tian life  was  the  preface  and  commentary  of  a  peaceful  death. 
"  The  present  number  at  this  church,"  says  Dr.  Spaulding,  in 
closing  his  address,  "  is  sixty-nine,  sixteen  of  whom  are  absent, 
leaving  fifty-three,  or  one  ninth  of  the  population  of  the  town 
(487),  accessible  members  of  the  church." 

The  first  Sabbath  school,  consisting  of  twenty-six  members, 
was  organized  early  in  the  summer  of  1817,  and  Deacon 
Zebedee  Kendall  was  one  of  the  prominent  teachers.  "  Most' 
of  the  hour  in  this  school,"  says  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  Spaulding, 
"was  spent  in  repeating  portions  of  Scripture  and  sacred  songs, 
committed  to  memory  during  the  week." 


lSl8] 


UXIVERSALIST  SOCIETY. 


The  following  table  is  reprinted  from  the  address  :  — 

Rev.  Josiah  Goodhue     .         .         .         .  17  years,  members  admitted,  65 

"  Joshua  Heywood  ....  15  "  "  "30 

"  Samuel  H.  Tolman                         .  7  "  "  "23 

"  Eldad  W.  Goodman                        .  4  "  "  "23 

"  Levi  Brigham        ....  13  "  "  "53 

"  Darwin  Adams     ....  7  "  "  "         16 

"  William  C.  Jackson,  present  pastor,  6  "  "  "          6 

69  216 

Stated  supplies,  etc.,      ....     39  83 

i  08  299 

A  Universalist  society  was  formed  by  citizens  of  Dunstable 
and  the  towns  adjacent,  and  a  constitution  adopted,  Jan.  21, 
1818.  The  names  of  the  original  members  of  the  society  are 
as  follows  :  — 

ISRAEL  HUNT.  ABEL  JOHNSON. 

EDMUND  PAGE.  MOODY  ROBBINS. 

LEONARD'PARKHURST.  DANIEL  INGALLS. 

SIMON  THOMPSON.  *  WILLIAM  FRENCH. 

JOHN  WOODWARD.  TEMPLE  KENDALL. 

JONA.  WOODWARD.  JONAS  FRENCH,  Jr. 

GEORGE  JOHNSON.  WILLIAM  ROBBINS,  Jr. 

ABEL  SPAULDING,  Jr.  JAMES  READ. 

CALEB  READ.  NATHL.  W.  GILSON. 

FRANCIS  B.  MAXWELL.  JESSE  JOHNSON. 

CLARK  PARKER.  EPHRAIM  JOHNSON. 

JAMES  WHITNEY.  LIBNI  PARKER. 

DAVID  JKWETT.  DANIEL  H.  LAWRENCE. 

WM.  COGSWELL.  DAVID  PERHAM. 

JESSE  BLOOD.  SALMON  SNOW. 

ABRAHAM  BLOOD.  LEONARD  KENDALL. 

JOHN  CALDWELL.  ELIJAH  ROBBINS. 

BENJ.  WILSON.  CHARLES  PARKER. 

WM.  LUND.  WILLIAM  ROBY. 

ELEAZER  F.  INGALLS.  JESSE  FALES. 

LEVI  WRIGHT.  ALLEN  PERHAM. 

ISAAC  J.  SANDERSON.  RALPH  PERHAM. 

PETER  TURREL.  JEREMIAH  UPTON. 

LEVI  LUND.  ASA  BUTTERFIELD. 

EZRA  FLETCHER.  JOSEPH  PIERCE. 

PETER  BLOOD.  THOMAS  READ. 

HENRY  BLOOD.  ISAAC  PIKE. 


172  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l82O 

SAMUEL  ROBY.  JOSEPH  INOAI.I.S. 

THEODORE  WOODWARD.  JOSIAII  DANFORTH. 

AMAZIAH  SHATTUCK.  EBENK/.KK  FROST. 

SAMUF.L  DAVIS.  JOSEPH  BUTI-ERKIELD. 

WM.  WHITING.  ALLEN  PIERCE. 

AVERY  PRESCOTT.  DANIEL  JAQUITH,  Jr. 

ABIJAH  SMITH.  JOSEPH  HUTTERFIELD,  Jr. 

CYPRIAN  BANNISTER.  THADDEUS  BLODGETT. 

JOSEPH  W.  ROBY.  DAVID  BUTTERFIELD. 

LEVI  KEMP.  AARON  DAVIS. 

STEPHEN  PRATT.  ZEBULON  BIODGETT. 

NEHKMIAH  GILSON.  ELIJAH  FLETCHER. 

THADDEUS  MARSHAL-.  AARON  ANDREWS. 

DAVID  M.  COMBS.  LEONARD  PARKHURST. 

DAVID  DARLING.  NOAH  WOODS. 

JOSKPH  PIERCE.  LEVI  BLOOD. 

HIRAM  KEMP.  HENRY  BLOOD,  Jr. 

MOSES  GLYNN.  JEFFERSON  FRENCH. 

SAML.  SPAULDING.  JONAS  PARKER. 

THOMAS  RICHARDSON.  NATHL.  GILSON. 

JAMES  INGALI.S.  JOHN  BUTTRICK. 

FREDERICK  BLODGETT.  JOHN  SPAULDING. 

SILAS  BLOOD.  REUBEN  SHATTUCK. 

THOMAS  LEWIS.  PARLIN  ROLLINS. 

HENRY  PARKHURST.  JEFFERSON  TAYLOR. 

WM.  DANE  ISAAC  P.  SANDERSON. 

Edmund  Page,  Esq.,  was  chosen  clerk  of  the  society,  and 
was  annually  re-elected  to  this  office  until  1828,  when  Temple 
Kendall  took  his  place. 

The  society  used  the  old  meeting-house  as  a  place  of  wor- 
ship, and  the  pulpit  was  supplied  by  such  preachers,  holding 
liberal  views,  as  could  be  from  time  to  time  obtained.  Among 
them  may  be  mentioned  the  Revs.  Hosea  Ballou,  Paul  Dean, 
Sebastian  and  Russell  Streeter,  Thomas  Whittemore,  D.  D., 
Thomas  B.  Thayer,  D.  D.,  and  Joshua  Flagg. 

The  number  of  inhabitants  in  1820  was  584.  By  an  Act  of 
the  Legislature,  passed  Feb.  15  of  this  year,  taking  one  family 
and  some  territory  from  Groton,  the  eighty-six  angles  formed 
between  the  towns  in  1793  were  reduced  to  the  five  which 
still  remain.  Tything-men  were  still  chosen,  Joseph  W.  Roby 
and  Emerson  Parker  holding  then  that  office.  In  April,  Asa 
Woods,  Caleb  Blood,  and  James  (or  Jonas)  Taylor,  Jr.,  were 
chosen  to  "  divide  the  use  of  the  meeting-house,"  and  the  town 


1  8  20] 


CENTRAL   CEMETERY. 


also  formed  a  sixth  school-district,  embracing  the  families  of 
Peter,  Henry,  Henry,  Jr.,  James,  Ebenezer,  Jesse,  and  Levi 
Blood,  together  with  that  of  Amos  Hutchinson. 

On  the  ninth  of  June  Dr.  Micah  Eldredge,  a  man  zealous  in 
every  good  work,  was  chosen  deacon  of  the  church. 

Jonathan  Bennett  and  George  Wright  built  a  tomb,  on  which 
their  names  are  inscribed,  in  the  Central  Cemetery  in  1821  ; 
John  Kendall  and  Leonard  Butterfield  built  another  in  the 
same  year.  The  other  tombs,  made  after  the  same  style  and 
facing  the  road,  are  those  of  D.  Chapman  and  A.  Spaulding, 
1836;  Oilman  Roby,  1840;  Allen  Cummings,  1840;  Z.  P. 
Proctor  and  J.  O.  Taylor,  1840  ;  B.  and  N.  C.  Kendall,  1840; 
John  M.  French,  1841  ;  and  Isaac  Woodward,  Jr.,  1843. 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l822 


CHAPTER    XI. 
THE   REV.   SAMUEL  H.   TOLMAN    INSTALLED.  —  THOMAS   RALSTON   AND  A 

SON  DROWNED  IN  SALMON  BROOK.  —  MR.  TOLMAN  DISMIS4ED.  —  HlS  MIN- 
ISTRY.—  REV.  WILLIAM  K.  TALBOT.  —  A  POST-OFFICE  ESTABLISHED. — 
THE  FIRST  PARISH  ORGANIZED.  —  THE  ORTHODOX  SOCIETY  FORMEDAND 
CHURCH  ERECTED.  —  THE  REV.  EI.DAD  W.  GOODMAN  SETTLED.  —  A 
COLD  MORNING.  —  VARIOUS  TOWN  OFFICERS  AND  APPROPRIATIONS.  — 
THE  REV.  DANA  GOODSELL.  —  THE  REV.  LEVI  BRIGHAM  ORDAINED. — 
MRS.  ROBY  KILLED  BY  LIGHTNING. — THE  WORCESTER  AND  NASHUA 
RAILROAD  OPENED.  —  NAMES  OF  MEN  LIABLE  TO  DO  MILITARY  DUTY. 
—  THE  REV.  DARWIN  ADAMS  SKTTLED.  —  A  CENTENNIAL  DISCOURSE. — 
HOUSEHOLDERS  IN  1856.  —  THE  REV.  JOHN  WHITNEY  SUPPLIES  THE 
PULPIT.  —  THE  REV.  WILLIAM  C.  JACKSON  SETTLED,  —  POPULATION  IN 
1860.  —  DUNSTABLE  CORNET  BAND  FORMED.  —  THE  TOWN'S  ACTIVITY 
IN  THE  WAR  OF  THE  REBELLION.  —  BURNING  OF  THE  OLD  MEETING- 
HOUSE.  —  INDUSTRIAL  CONDITION  OF  THE  TOWN  IN  1865.  —  NAMES  OF 
THE  SOLDIERS  IN  THE  WAR  OF  THE  REBELLION. 

"  One  generation  passeth  away,  and  another  generation  cometh  ;  but 
the  earth  abideth  forever."  SOLOMON. 

"  How  blest  the  man  who,  in  these  peaceful  plains, 
Ploughs  his  paternal  fields,  far  from  the  noise, 
The  care,  and  bustle  of  a  busy  world."      MICHAEL  BRUCE. 

ALTHOUGH  the  church  had  been  somewhat  strengthened  by 
a  revival,  it  was  still  unable  to  support  a  minister,  and  there- 
fore applied,  Feb.  7,  1822,  to  the  Massachusetts  Society  for 
promoting  Christian  Knowledge  for  some  assistance,  repre- 
senting that  "  about  one  half  the  property  of  this  town  stands 
on  sectarian  grounds  "  ;  that  "  the  church  had  been  destitute 
of  a  settled  minister  for  seven  years  "  ;  that  "  the  church  now 
consists  of  about  one  hundred  and  five  members  "  ;  that  "  it  is 
decidedly  orthodox  "  ;  and  that  "  for  nearly  three  years  past  the 
Rev.  Samuel  Howe  Tolman  has  labored  among  us  a  part  of 
the  time,"  and  that  they  had  given  him  a  call  to  settle  over 


1 828]  REPAIRING    THE  MEETING-HOUSE.  \>j$ 

the  church  for  the  term  of  five  years.  In  reply  to  this  petition 
the  society  agreed  to  pay,  conditionally,  $100  per  annum 
towards  the  support  of  Mr.  Tolman.  He  was,  therefore,  in- 
stalled over  the  church  and  society  on  the  I2th  of  June,  the 
Rev.  William  Fay,  of  Charlestown,  preaching  the  sermon  on 
the  occasion.  "  The  audience,"  says  the  clerk  of  the  church, 
"  was  numerous,  solemn,  and  attentive,  and  the  music  truly 
sublime  and  melting." 

Dec.  24  it  was  voted  "  to  adopt  into  our  church  the  use  of 
the  Select  Hymns  selected  by  Dr.  Samuel  Worcester,  of  Salem, 
Mass."  This  book  took  the  place  of  the  Psalms  and  Hymns  of 
Dr.  Watts.  Several  musical  instruments,  as  the  bass-viol, 
violin,  and  clarionet,  had  been  introduced  into  the  choir,  and 
it  does  not  appear  that  any  one  now  objected  to  their  use  in 
the  service  of  the  church. 

The  town  raised,  in  1823,  $300  to  support  the  public  schools 
and  $150  to  support  the  poor.  It  gave  eighty-three  votes  for 
William  Eustis,  and  twelve  for  Harrison  G.  Otis,  as  governor. 

Edmund  Page,  who  kept  a  store  at  the  Centre  and  took  a 
prominent  part  in  town  affairs,  was  the  town  clerk  in  1824, 
and  the  town  records  of  this  period  are  in  good  order. 

The  town  chose,  in  1826,  for  its  school  committee,  the  Rev. 
Samuel  H.  Tolman,  Dr.  Micah  Eldredge,  Edmund  Page,  Jona- 
than Bennett,  Joel  Keyes,  Mark  Fletcher,  and  Chiles  Kendall ; 
also  Silas  Blood  and  Capt.  Peter  Proctor,  tything-men.  Isaac 
Taylor,  Jr.,  was  chosen  a  deacon  of  the  church  ;  Temple  Ken- 
dall was  the  town  clerk ;  and  $300  were  raised  for  carrying  on 
the  public  schools. 

On  the  1 3th  of  September  Miss  Jane  Parker  was  drowned 
by  the  upsetting  of  a  boat  in  which  she  and  four  others  were 
out  on  a  pleasure  excursion  on  Massapoag  Pond.  She  was 
about  twenty-six  years  old,  and  was  buried  in  Groton. 

In  1827  it  was  voted  to  repair  the  meeting-house,  by  mend- 
ing the  shingles,  glass,  canopy  (that  is,  the  sounding-board), 
and  plastering.  Five  hundred  copies  of  the  Confession  of 
Faith  were  printed  early  in  the  year  and  distributed  among 
the  members  of  the  church. 

The  selectmen  for  1828  were  Temple  Kendall,  Lieut.  Francis 


1 76  H1STOR  Y  OF  D UNSTABLE.  [1829 

Fletcher,  and  James  Swallow,  Esq.  Clark  Parker  was  the  treas- 
urer, and  Capt.  George  Wright  the  pound-keeper.  It  was 
voted  by  the  town  in  April  "  to  pay  for  the  Rev.  Joshua  Hey- 
woods  grave  stones." 

On  the  1 8th  of  June  the  sympathies  of  the  town  were 
awakened  by  a  very  serious  accident,  an  account  of  which  was 
entered  upon  the  town  records.  Thomas  Ralston,  his  wife 
and  five  children,  who  were  passing  on  foot  through  the  town 
on  their  way  from  New  Brunswick  to  Kingston,  U.  C,  stopped 
to  rest  awhile  at  Massapoag  Bridge  across  Salmon  Brook.  Here 
the  oldest  two  sons  went  into  the  deep  water  below  the  bridge 
to  bathe  ;  being  unable  to  swim  and  alarmed  at  the  depth  of 
the  water,  the  larger  boy,  aged  eleven  years,  by  clinching  hold 
of  some  blades  of  grass,  drew  himself  to  the  land.  The  father 
plunged  into  the  water  for  the  rescue  of  the  other  boy,  whose 
name  was  Thomas  Ralston,  Jr.,  and  who  was  nine  years  old, 
but  becoming  entangled  in  the  mud  and  weeds,  both  were 
drowned  together  in  the  stream,  leaving  a  wife  and  four  chil- 
dren, far  away  from  home,  to  mourn  the  loss.  The  remaining 
members  of  the  unfortunate  family  were  kindly  assisted  by  the 
people  of  the  neighborhood. 

The  town  gave  sixty-four  votes  for  Edward  Everett  and  four 
votes  for  Daniel  Richardson,  as  representative  to  Congress. 

For  want  of  sufficient  support,  the  Rev.  Samuel  H.  Tolman 
was  dismissed  Jan.  28,  1829,  from  his  pastoral  relation  with 
the  church  and  society. 

Mr.  Tolman  was  graduated  at  Dartmouth  College  in  1806, 
and  was  pastor  of  the  church  in  Shirley  from  Oct.  20,  1815, 
to  Feb.  17,  1819.  On  leaving  Dunstable,  where  his  salary  was 
only  $200  per  annum,  he  preached  successfully  in  South  Mer- 
rimack,  Atkinson,  Lempster,  and  other  towns  in  New  Hamp- 
shire. He  was  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  Groton  Academy, 
from  1816  to  1840,  when  he  resigned  the  office.  He  was  a 
man  of  good  abilities,  and  an  earnest  preacher  of  the  gospel. 
On  the  dismissal  of  Mr.  Tolman,  the  Rev.  William  K.  Talbot, 
author  of  a  treatise  on  English  Grammar,  supplied  the  pulpit, 
in  part,  from  November,  1829,  until  April,  1831. 

A  post-office  was  established   in  the  town  on  the   I3th  of 


1830] 


CONGREGATIONAL   CHURCH. 


177 


February,  1829,  and  Josiah  Cummings,  Jr.,  was  appointed 
postmaster.  He  held  this  office  until  March  4,  1840,  when  he 
was  superseded  by  Mr.  Ranson  Fish,  who  held  the  office  until 
June  i,  1841.  Mr.  Josiah  Cummings  was  then  reappointed, 
and  continued  to  hold  the  office  until  May  13,  1852.  He  died 
Sept.  19,  1864,  aged  eighty-one  years.  Previous  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  this  office,  the  people  received  their  mail  matter 
at  the  office  in  Tyngsborough. 

The  population  of  the  town  in  1830  was  593,  an  increase  of 
nine  persons  only  in  ten  years.  The  town  gave  forty-seven 
votes  for  Edward  Everett  and  seven  for  James  Russell,  as 
representative  to  Congress. 

It  was  this  year  deemed  advisable  by  the  evangelical  part  of 
the  religious  society  to  withdraw  from  the  old  meeting-house, 
and  to  build  a  new  one.  An  advisory  council  was,  therefore, 
convened  Dec.  10,  which  unanimously  recommended  the  pro- 
posed undertaking.  Subscriptions  were  at  once  solicited,  a 


THB   PRESENT  CHURCH   EDIFICE. 


site  was  purchased  of  Jasper  P.  Proctor  *  for  the  sum  of  $100  ; 
and  the  present  neat  and  substantial  edifice,  under  a  contract 

*  Son  of  Jonathan  and  Rebecca  (Pope)  Proctor,  grandson  of  Ebenezer  Proctor, 
one  of  the  early  settlers.    Jasper  P.  Proctor  was  born  Feb.  29,  1793,  and  lived  in 
12 


178  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1833 

with  William  Rowe,  of  Groton,  was  soon  erected.  It  was  dedi- 
cated Dec.  2\t  1831,  the  Rev.  Amos  Blanchard,  D.  n.,  preaching 
the  sermon. 

The  Orthodox  Church  voted  July  9,  1831,  that  "  for  the  future 
we  meet  in  the  new  meeting-house  for  divine  worship  on  con- 
dition that  the  pews  be  rented  and  the  rents  be  appropriated 
to  the  support  of  the  gospel  in  the  new  house." 

At  the  same  meeting  the  church  extended  a  call  to  the  Rev. 
Francis  Danforth  (Dartmouth  College,  1819),  which  he  declined 
accepting. 

A  call  was  then  (Oct.  10)  given  to  the  Rev.  Eldad  W.  Good- 
man, which  he  accepted.  His  installation  and  the  dedication 
of  the  church  occurred  on  the  same  day. 

On  the  29th  of  December  the  First  Parish  was  legally  re- 
organized by  the  choice  of  parish  officers,  and  a  new  book  of 
records  commenced  by  Temple  Kendall,  who  continued  to  be 
chosen  clerk  until  March  13,  1843,  at  which  time  the  journal 
of  the  church  terminates. 

Capt.  Mark  Fletcher  was  chosen  Feb.  29,  1832,  deacon  of 
the  Evangelical  Church.  He  was  the  son  of  Phineas,  and 
grandson  of  Deacon  Joseph  Fletcher,  on  whose  place  he  was 
born  Sept.  14,  1790,  and  died  Aug.  4,  1851.  He  married 
Rhoda  Fletcher,  Jan.  24,  1818,  and  had  issue,  Rhoda,  Eliza- 
beth, Nancy  C.,  Samuel  M.,  George  Washington,  and  Susan 
Lucretia. 

On  the  i6th  of  March,  1833,  Venus  Pitman,  a  woman  of 
color,  died.  She  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  last  represent- 
ative of  those  persons  once  held  as  slaves  in  Dunstable.  The 
town  cast  forty-seven  votes  in  favor  of  and  none  against  the 
third  article  of  the  Bill  of  Rights. 

the  house  on  the  easterly  side  of  the  Common.  He  married  Mary,  daughter  of 
Henry  Blood,  and  had  issue,  i.  Mary  Ann,  born  Nov.  8,  1821.  2.  Josiah 
Cummings,  born  Aug.  9,  1817.  3.  Jasper  Pope,  born  June  4,  1819.  4.  Dexter 
Putnam,  born  April  14,  1824.  5.  Henry  Oratius,  born  Jan.  7,  1828.  Josiah  C. 
Proctor,  Esq.,  has  taken  great  interest  in  the  preparation  of  this  history.  He 
visited  Dunstable,  Eng.,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  all  the  information  possible 
in  respect  to  the  early  settlers  of  his  native  town,  and  was  most  cordially  enter- 
tained by  citizens  of  the  mother  town.  He  married,  first,  Miss  Clarissa  E.  Proctor, 
and  second,  Miss  Emily  C.  Biden,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


1835]  DISMISSAL   OF  MR.    GOODMAN. 

On  the  28th  of  May,  Mr.  William  Taylor  Wright,  son  of 
George  and  Elizabeth  (Taylor)  Wright,  and  born  Feb.  25, 
1813,  was  drowned  while  bathing  in  the  Merrimack  River.  He 
swam  out  to  a  point  in  the  stream  where  he  supposed  he  might 
rest  with  his  head  above  the  water  ;  but  the  river  being  swollen 
he  could  not  touch  the  bottom,  and  so,  in  his  bewilderment, 
was  lost. 

The  town,  in  1834,  voted  to  appropriate  $100  for  a  singing 
school,  and  chose  Henry  Parkhurst,  Capt.  George  Wright,  and 
Cyrus  Taylor  a  committee  to  superintend  the  same.  It  also 
voted  to  surrender  the  burial-place  in  the  vicinity  of  the  house 
of  Mr.  Abraham  Blood.  This  cemetery,  in  the  western  part 
of  the  town,  has  many  graves  and  one  or  more  tombs  contain- 
ing members  of  the  Blood  family,  but  no  inscriptions,  except 
of  recent  date. 

The  town  gave  the  collectors  eight  mills  per  dollar  for  col- 
lecting the  taxes.  Temple  Kendall  was  the  town  clerk. 

Both  the  town  and  church  sustained  a  serious  loss  this  year 
in  the  removal  of  Dr.  Hezekiah  Eldredge  and  his  wife  to  Pem- 
broke, N.  H. 

Deacon  Joseph  Swallow  was  chosen  superintendent  of  the 
Sabbath  school,  which  was  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

The  morning  of  Jan.  4,  1835,  is  said  to  have  been  the  coldest 
ever  recollected  in  this  region.  The  mercury  fell  from  18° 
to  40°  below  zero,  and  ranged  very  low  for  the  six  mornings 
following;  but  the  dwelling-houses  and  barns  of  Dunstable 
were  so  well  built  as  to  render  the  people  and  their  stock  of 
cattle  comfortable. 

The  town  gave  forty-four  votes  for  Edward  Everett  (Whig), 
and  twenty-six  votes  for  Marcus  Morton  (Democrat),  for  gov- 
ernor. 

On  the  25th  of  August  the  Rev.  Mr.  Goodman,  at  his  own 
desire,  was  dismissed  from  the  pastorate  of  the  Evangelical 
Church.  He  was  an  esteemed  and  faithful  minister,  but  his 
salary  was  hardly  adequate  to  his  support.  In  his  communi- 
cation to  the  church,  Aug.  17,  1835,  relative  to  his  dismission, 
he  truly  said,  "  No  minister  of  the  gospel  can  tell  how  much 
evil  he  prevents,  though  he  may  not  see  much  positive  good 


!  g0  HIS  TOR  Y  OF  DUNS  TABLE.  [  r  84 1 

effected  by  a  preached  gospel  and  pastoral  duties."  He  resides 
at  Lake  George,  N.  Y. 

The  church  and  society  raised  this  year  $150  for  the  pur- 
pose of  founding  a  scholarship  in  Oberlin  Institute,  Ohio. 
This  was  done  mainly  through  the  efforts  of  the  Rev.  John 
Spaulding,  who  had  in  1828  married  Miss  Olive  C.  B.  Kendall, 
of  this  town,  and  who  had  been  assisted  by  the  church  in  ob- 
taining his  education. 

On  the  8th  of  October  the  church  extended  a  call  to  the 
Rev.  Dana  Goodsell,  who  had  for  some  time  been  supplying 
the  pulpit.  He  declined  to  settle  as  pastor,  but  continued  his 
labors  here  until  August,  1836. 

The  town  expended  in  the  year  last  named  $350  for  public 
schools  and  $400  for  repairing  highways.  It  also  voted  to 
repair  the  bridge  over  Unquetenasset  Brook. 

On  the  1 5th  of  March,  1837,  the  Rev.  Levi  Brigham  was 
ordained  pastor  of  the  Evangelical  Church.  Henry  Parkhurst 
was  the  town  clerk.  The  town  chose  the  year  ensuing  the 
Rev.  Levi  Brigham,  Josiah  Cummings,  Esq.,  and  Peter  Kendall 
for  the  school  committee.  It  voted  not  to  choose  tithing-men, 
and  elected  Mial  Davis  "  to  repair  the  fence  around  the  bury- 
ing-ground  at  the  old  meeting-house  place."  It  gave  sixty-two 
votes  for  Edward  Everett  and  sixty-five  for  Marcus  Morton  as 
governor. 

Mrs.  Catharine  (Parker)  Roby  was  struck  by  lightning  June 
17,  1838,  and  died  in  consequence  on  the  2ist  of  June  following. 
She  had  hurried  home  from  church,  and  was  standing  opposite 
to  a  looking-glass,  with  a  silver  comb  in  her  hair,  when  the 
accident  occurred. 

Peter  Kendall  was,  in  1839,  chosen  town  clerk. 

The  number  of  inhabitants  in  1840  had  risen  to  603,  and 
the  valuation  of  the  town  to  $191,314. 

Mr.  Jonathan  Woodward  died  Dec.  24,  at  the  advanced  age 
of  101  years,  7  months,  and  13  days.  His  wife  Sarah  died  Feb. 
28,  1829,  aged  86  years. 

For  the  proposed  amendment  of  the  Constitution  the  town 
gave  two  votes  in  favor  and  eighty  in  opposition.  In  1841  it 
appropriated  $350  for  the  public  schools,  and  sent  Peter  Kendall 


1848]         ADDITION  TO    THE   CENTRAL   CEMETERY.  T8i 

representative.  It  gave  seventy-five  votes  for  Marcus  Morton 
and  sixty-one  for  John  Davis  as  governor.  The  Rev.  Levi 
Brigham  was  elected  a  trustee  of  Pepperell  Academy.  It 
appears  the  next  year  that  the  town  was  entirely  out  of  debt, 
and  the  rate  of  taxation  was  low.  In  1843  Henry  Parkhurst 
was  chosen  "  to  get  the  school  district  library."  This  was 
an  appropriation  from  the  State.  For  Marcus  Morton  seventy- 
four  votes  were  thrown,  and  for  George  N.  Briggs  fifty-nine, 
as  governor. 

In  1844  the  town  appropriated  $350  for  the  support  of  public 
schools,  which  were  taught  mostly  by  young  ladies  ;  and  it 
cast  seventy-five  votes  for  George  S.  Boutwell,  of  Groton,  and 
seventy-three  votes  for  Amos  Abbott,  as  representative  to 
Congress.  Mr.  John  Cummings  died  Jan.  30,  1845,  aged  sixty- 
three  years,  and  was  buried  in  the  Central  Cemetery.  Though 
not  a  member  of  the  church,  he  honored  it  by  a  donation  of 
$500.  This  was  the  only  donation  of  any  considerable  amount 
the  church  had  until  then  received. 

The  town  appropriated  $400  for  the  use  of  public  schools  in 
1845  ;  and  it  chose  Peter  Kendall,  John  Kendall,  and  Benja- 
min French  selectmen.  It  gave  Isaac  Davis,  of  Worcester, 
sixty-six  votes,  and  George  N.  Briggs,  of  Pittsfield,  forty-eight 
votes,  for  governor.  Mr.  John  Hayward  said,  in  the  meagre 
account  of  Dunstable  in  his  Gazetteer  of  Massachusetts,  pub- 
lished in  1846,  "The  soil  is  sandy,  and  generally  unproductive 
of  other  crops  than  hops  and  rye."  This  is  manifestly  incor- 
rect, the  land  being  well  adapted  to  the  growth  of  all  the  cereals, 
and  as  good  as  that  of  any  other  town  in  this  section  of  Mid- 
dlesex County. 

The  sum  of  $400  was,  in  1847,  appropriated  for  public 
schools,  and  it  was  voted  to  build  a  town-tomb  ;  but  this  vote 
was  reconsidered.  John  Kendall  was  the  moderator  of  the 
annual  March  meeting. 

In  1848  the  amount  appropriated  for  public  schools  was 
raised  to  $500.  Warren  Wilson  was  chosen  town  clerk,  and 
the  town  voted  "  to  pay  for  powder,  and  for  sharpening  stone 
tools  used  on  the  highways."  It  voted,  also,  "  to  purchase 
two  acres  of  land  of  Deacon  Thomas  Parker,  to  be  added  to 


182 


HISTORY  Of  DUNSTABLE. 


[I850 


the  old  burying-ground  on  the  south  side."  This  was  the 
Central  Cemetery,  which,  having  been  for  many  years  almost 
the  only  place  of  interment,  had  become  so  crowded  with 
graves  that  a  space  more  ample  was  demanded. 

The  Worcester  and  Nashua  Railroad,  which  enters  the  town 
from  Pepperell,  and  passes  along  its  western  border  near  the 
Nashua  River  into  Nashua,  was  opened  on  the  i8th  of  De- 
cember ;  but  as  it  is  remote  from  the  centre,  and  leads  to 
Boston  by  a  circuitous  route,  it  has  been  of  but  little  service 
to  the  place.  It  has  no  station  in  the  town. 

The  Rev.  Levi  Brigham,  Miles  Spaulding,  and  Daniel  Swal- 
low were  the  school  committee  in  1849,  an<^  tne  schools  are 
said  to  have  been  in  excellent  condition  ;  the  roads  were  also 
kept  in  good  repair.  The  town  voted  "not  to  buy  the  new 
meeting-house  for  a  town-house." 

The  population  in  1850  was  590,  —  a  decrease  of  sixteen  for 
the  last  ten  years. 

The  names  of  the  men  then  liable  to  do  military  duty  are 
as  follows :  — 


GEORGE  C.  BLODGETT. 
JAMES  BENNETT. 
LEONARD  S.  BUTTERFIELD. 
ASA  T.  BUTTERFIELD. 
CHARLES  BALDWIN. 
JOHN  B.  CHENEY. 
THOMAS  F.  CHENEY. 
AMOS  LARKIN. 
ISAAC  P.  CUMMINGS. 
WILLIAM  H.  DUREN. 
JOSHUA  T.  DAVIS. 
GEORGE  W.  FLETCHER. 
BENJAMIN  FRENCH. 
THOMAS  FREDERICK. 
JOEL  GILSON,    Jr. 
WILLIAM  GILSON. 
ANDREW  T.  KENDALL. 
HENRY  HALE. 
Z.  P.  PROCTOR. 
JACOB  PARKHURST,  Jr. 
JASPER  P.  PROCTOR,  2d. 
ALBERT  L.  PARKHURST. 
DANIEL  PAGE. 
SUMNER  PARKER. 


STEPHEN  MOORE. 
EBENEZER  MARBLE. 
JOHN  W.  JEWETT. 
JESSE  JOHNSON. 
OILMAN  ROBY. 
GEORGE  PARKHURST. 
CHARLES  E.  WESTON. 
JAMES  SPAULDING. 
HIRAM  SPAULDING. 
OLIVER  TAYLOR. 
SAMUEL  TAYLOR. 
KIMBALL  UPTON. 
GEORGE  P.  WRIGHT. 
NOYES  R.  SCOTT. 
SAMUEL  WOODS. 
HENRY  V.  WARREN. 
ISAAC  O.  TAYLOR. 
ANDREW  SPAULDING. 
CHARLES  N.  WOODWARD. 
JAMES  C.  WOODWARD. 
JONATHAN  H.  WOODWARD. 
ISAAC  N.  WOODS. 
DAVID  F.  RIDEAUT. 

JOTHAM    ROBBINS. 


1853]  EMPLOYMENT  OF  TEACHERS.  183 

THOMAS  H.  PARKHURST.  FREEMAN  ROBBINS. 

WALTER  PARKHURST.  JEFFERSON  ROBBINS. 

WILLIAM  H.  WOODS.  WILLIAM  SIMMONS. 

BENJAMIN  P.  RICE.  PETER  SWALLOW. 

JAMES  M.  SWALLOW.  ALPHEUS  SWALLOW. 

GEORGE  WOODS.  DANIEL  SWALLOW. 
FREEMAN  W.  MARSHALL. 

Total,  61. 

The  town  voted,  at  one  of  its  meetings,  "  to  sell  the  old 
town  standard  at  auction,"  and  also  to  receive  Ira  Hall  and 
Webb  and  Bowker,  with  their  estates,  from  Groton.  Warren 
Wilson  was  the  town  clerk.  Of  the  votes  thrown  by  the  town 
for  governor,  George  N.  Briggs  had  sixty,  and  George  S.  Bout- 
well  seventy.  The  Rev.  Levi  Brigham  was  dismissed,  at  his 
own  request,  March  21,  from  the  pastorate  of  the  Evangelical 
Church.  He  was  an  able  pastor  and  of  great  service  to  the 
town  from  an  educational  point  of  view.  His  successor,  the 
Rev.  Darwin  Adams  (Dartmouth  College,  1824),  son  of  the 
celebrated  school-book  maker,  Daniel  Adams,  M.  D.,  was  in- 
stalled on  the  5th  of  September  following,  the  Rev.  Jacob 
Burnap,  of  Merrimack,  preaching  the  sermon.  The  meeting- 
house, having  been  enlarged  and  repaired,  was  rededicated  in 
connection  with  the  other  services.  Miss  Lucy  Fletcher  gave 
the  church  a  pulpit,  Dr.  Daniel  Adams  presented  to  it  a  clock, 
and  Mrs.  Spaulding  a  set  of  chairs  for  the  communion  table. 
The  salary  of  Mr.  Adams  was  $500  per  annum.  Isaac  N. 
Wright  was  chosen  town  clerk  in  1851,  and  $450  were  ex- 
pended for  schools. 

The  town  gave  fifty-two  votes  for  Henry  Wilson  and  forty- 
nine  for  Tappan  Wentworth,  as  representatives  to  Congress 
in  1852. 

The  Rev.  Darwin  Adams,  Chiles  Kendall,  and  Dr.  Adonijah 
W.  Howe  were  the  school  committee.  Joel  M.  Oliver 
broke  one  of  his  legs  through  an  imperfection  in  the  highway, 
for  which  the  town  was  subjected  to  some  expense.  Isaac 
Kendall  represented  the  town  in  1853  in  the  Constitutional 
Convention,  having  been  chosen  over  Henry  Parkhurst  by 
sixty-one  against  fifty-six  votes.  The  town  committee,  instead 
of  the  district  school  committees,  were  directed  to  employ  the 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


[I856 


teachers  for  the  schools.  This  was  a  decided  improvement 
on  the  old  system,  in  which  the  committee-man  usually  selected 
a  relative,  whether  good  or  bad,  to  teach  the  children  of  his 
district.  The  town  voted  in  1854  to  sell  the  town  buildings, 
now  owned  by  Libni  Parker,  and  they  were  bought  by  Liberty 
C.Raymond  for  the  sum  of  $1,500,  which  was  about  $1,000 
less  than  the  cost. 

In  the  autumn  of  the  year  1855  Mr.  Samuel  Gilson,  engi- 
neer, was  killed  by  an  explosion  of  the  boiler  of  an  engine  on 
the  Worcester  and  Nashua  Railway.  The  accident  occurred 
near  the  house  of  Mr.  Newton  Wright,  in  the  western  part  of 
the  town. 

Abijah  Davis  and  E.  G.  Spaulding  were  chosen  tithing-men 
in  1856,  and  it  was  voted  to  print  one  hundred  and  fifty  copies 
of  the  selectmen's  report ;  but  the  report  was  reconsidered. 

According  to  the  map  of  Middlesex  County,  published  this 
year  by  Henry  F.  Walling,  it  appears  that  the  following  heads 
of  families  were  then  living  west  of  Salmon  Brook,  in  Dunsta- 
ble,  viz. :  — 

A.  BLOOD,  near  Nashua  River. 

VARNUM  WOODS,  near  Nashua  River. 

WILLARD  ROBBINS,  on  Unquctenasset  Brook. 

ISAAC  N.  WRIGHT,  now  Freeman  L.  Robbins's  place. 

JOTHAM  ROBBINS. 

HORACE  LOVERING. 

DAVID  RIDEAUT. 

DAVID  F.  RIDEAUT,  son  of  the  former. 

NOAH  BLOOD,  deceased. 

REBECCA  PROCTOR,  daughter  of  Ebenezer  Proctor. 

ISAAC  N.  WOODS. 

JOEL  JILSON. 

Mrs.  RHODA  FLETCHER,  widow  of  Dea.  Mark  Fletcher. 

J.  M.  SWALLOW. 

FRANCIS  FLETCHER,  deceased. 

JAMES  BENNETT,  son  of  Jonathan  Bennett,  Esq. 

DANIEL  SWALLOW. 

J.  PARKHURST,  Jr. 

A.  SWALLOW. 

E.  WESTON. 

T.  PARKER. 

THOMAS  F.  CHENEY. 


1856]  FAMILIES  BY  MAP  OF  1856.  ^5 

ALPHEUS  SWALLOW.     Has  a  family  of  ten  boys. 

JOHN  SWALLOW. 

S.  PARKHURST. 

E.  PARKHURST. 

CHARLES  BALDWIN. 

H.  PARKHURST. 

E.  P.  SANDERSON. 

I.  P.  SANDERSON. 

CLEMENT  MARSHALL. 

T.  H.  PARKHURST. 

D.  and  E.  G.  CHAPMAN. 

SUMNER  WOODS. 

S.  A.  LAWRENCE. 

Mrs.  SPAULDING. 

J.  GILSON. 

I.  N.  KEMP. 

CLARK  PARKER. 

IRA  HALL. 

A.  BOWERS. 

JOEL  KEYES.     Deceased. 

M.  A.  BENNETT. 

I.  W.  KEMP. 

Mrs.  JOHN  CUMMINGS. 

ISAAC  N.  WOODS. 

There  were,  according  to  the  same  plan,  then  living  on  the 
easterly  side  of  Salmon  Brook  :  — 

LIBERTY  C.  RAYMOND,  at  the  Centre.     House  built  by  Edmund  Page. 

ASA  WOODS,                      "  " 

I.  B.  HALL,                         "  " 

MILES  BLOOD,                    ''  " 

J.  CUMMINGS,                     "  '• 

JASPER  POPE  PROCTOR,    "  " 

ZEPHANIAH  P.  PROCTOR,  "  " 

W.  KENDALL,                     "  " 

WILLIAM  DUNN,                "  " 

A.  PARKHURST,                  u  " 
L.  WHITCOMB,                    "  " 
J.  C.  WOODWARD,              •'  " 
REUBEN  WRIGHT,             "  " 
JAMES  WOODWARD,            "  " 
CHARLES  N.  WOODWARD,"  " 

B.  PARKHURST,                  "  " 
A.  PARKHURST. 

A.  FARNSWORTH,  near  the  line  of  Nashua,  N.  H. 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


[1856 


D.  W.  GARLAND. 
WILLIAM  FRENCH  (of  Boston). 

EBKN'R  STKDMAN,  house  once  occupied  by  Paul  Thorndike. 

E.  SWALLOW. 
J.  KENDALL. 

CHILES  KENDALL,  Deacon,  and  son  of  Jonas,  son  of  Jacob,  son  of  John, 

the  first  settler,  1726. 
OILMAN  ROBY. 
I.  TAYLOR. 
JACOB  PARKHURST. 
Rev.  DARWIN  ADAMS,  now  James  Bennett's  Place.     House  built  by  Rev. 

Levi  Brigham. 
A.  JEWKTT. 
JAMES  BLODGETT. 

NATH'L  C.  KENDALL,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Sybil  (Cummings)  Kendall. 
M.  DAVIS. 

L.  BROOKS  [Estabrooks]. 

BENJAMIN  FRENCH,  grandson  of  Ebenr.  French. 
I.  P.  CUMMINGS. 
J.  BURNAP. 
J.  H.  KATELEY. 
L.  WALTON. 

GEORGE  WRIGHT,  the  old  David  Taylor  place. 
JOSIAH  T.  CUMMINGS,  son  of  Capt.  Josiah  Cummings. 
LEONARD  BUTTERFIELD,  near  an  old  garrison  house. 
LEONARD  S.  BUTTERFIELD,  west  of  Meeting-House  Hill. 
ASA  BUTTERFIELD,  "  "  " 

JOHN  BLODGETT. 

C.  GILSON. 
KIMBALL  UPTON. 
J.  BLODGETT. 

D.  RICHARDSON. 
Z.  PROCTOR. 

C.  TAYLOR. 

HENRY  PARKHURST,  now  John  A.  Parkhurst  and  brother. 

PETER  KENDALL,  deceased. 

ZEBULON  BLODGETT,  very  old  house. 

SAMUEL  S.  TAYLOR,  the  old  Steel  Place. 

A.  SPAULDING. 

ALLEN  CUMMINGS,  son  of  James  Cummings. 

AMOS  CARKIN,  Forest  Hill. 

EBEN'R  GILSON,          " 

ALVAH  GILSON,  " 


1859] 


VOTES  FOR   GOVERNOR. 


There  were  then  a  hotel  and  a  bowling-saloon,  owned  by 
Peter  Kendall,  at  the  mineral  spring,  now  covered  by  the 
waters  of  Massapoag  Pond.  The  two  store-keepers  were 
William  Dunn  and  Liberty  C.  Raymond. 

In  1857  Lawrence  Brooks  was  paid  for  playing  the  seraphine 
in  the  Evangelical  Church.  James  T.  Burnap,  Andrew  Spaul- 
ding,  and  Thomas  H.  Parkhurst  were  the  school  committee  for 
that  year,  and  $500  were  set  apart  for  the  support  of  public 
schools.  On  Sunday,  the  loth  of  May,  the  Rev.  Darwin  Adams 
preached  a  centennial  discourse,  it  being  one  hundred  years 
from  the  organization  of  the  church  in  the  town  of  Dunstable  ; 
but  the  discourse  was  never  printed.  Mr.  Thomas  F.  Cheney 
was  employed  to  bring  the  mail  from  Tyngsborough  from 
July  i,  one  year.  Captain  Amaziah  Swallow  died  Oct.  6,  aged 
seventy  years,  and  Mr.  Josiah  Spaulding,  aged  ninety-three,  on 
the  1  8th  of  November.  Both  of  them  had  served  the  town  in 
various  public  offices,  and  were  highly  respected.  On  the  22d 
of  September  the  Rev.  Darwin  Adams*  was,  after  a  faithful 
and  affectionate  ministry  of  about  seven  years,  dismissed,  and 
the  Rev.  John  Whitney,  of  Waltham,  then  supplied  the  pulpit 
until  November,  1858. 

The  selectmen  of  1858  were  Thomas  Parkhurst,  Benjamin 
French,  and  Andrew  Spaulding,  the  latter  serving  as  moderator 
at  the  annual  meeting  in  March.  It  was  voted  this  year,  "  to 
improve  the  burying-ground  by  setting  out  shade  trees."  This 
was  sadly  needed,  and  though  the  spot  is  beautiful,  it  is  hoped 
some  further  decorations  will  be  made.  The  dwellings  of  the 
dead  must  never  be  forgotten  ;  the  cemetery  should  be  ren- 
dered one  of  the  most  charming  places  of  the  town. 

In  1859  Dunstable  gave  four  votes  for  and  thirteen  against 
the  amendment  of  the  Constitution,  and  for  governor  it  cast 
forty-three  votes  in  favor  of  Nathaniel  P.  Banks,  thirty-six  in 

*  The  Rev.  Darwin  Adams  resides  in  Groton.  In  a  recent  letter  to  me  he 
says,  "  There  was  nothing  very  interesting  that  occurred  during  my  ministry  in 
Dunstable,  excepting  that  the  meeting-house  was  enlarged,  repaired,  and  very 
much  improved.  My  installation  and  the  rededication  of  the  house  took  place 
the  same  day,  Sept.  5,  1850.  At  that  time  there  was  quite  a  respectable  congre- 
gation in  attendance  on  the  Sabbath,  but  deaths  and  removals  have  reduced  the 
number  until  it  has  become  quite  small." 


1 88  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l86l 

favor  of  Benjamin  F.  Butler,  also  four  in  favor  of  George  N. 
Briggs. 

The  Rev.  William  C.  Jackson  (Dartmouth  College,  1831), 
of  Lincoln,  was  installed  over  the  church,  Nov.  2,  1859,  with 
a  salary  of  $500  per  annum  and  the  use  of  a  parsonage,  built 
at  a  cost  of  about  $  1,000  ;  and  in  April  following,  Joseph 
Swallow  was  chosen  a  deacon. 

The  number  of  inhabitants  in  1860  was  four  hundred  and 
eighty-seven,  of  whom  two  hundred  and  forty-three  were 
males  and  two  hundred  and  forty-four  females  ;  eleven  were 
over  eighty  and  one  was  over  ninety  years  old.  None  were 
colored,  nor  was  any  one  insane,  idiotic,  deaf  and  dumb,  or 
convicted  of  a  crime.  This  is  a  strong  argument  in  favor 
of  rural  life.  There  were  eighty  farmers,  four  merchants, 
and  five  school-teachers,  four  of  whom  were  females  There 
were  in  all  one  hundred  and  twenty-two  dwelling-houses  and 
one  hundred  and  twelve  families.  Jonas  C.  Kendall  was 
chosen  one  of  the  school  committee  for  three  years.  James 
T.  Burnap  was  chosen  town  clerk,  and  $500  were  appropri- 
ated for  the  use  of  the  public  schools.  Thomas  F.  Cheney 
received  fifty  dollars  for  carrying  the  mail  to  and  from  Tyngs- 
borough  for  one  year,  ending  on  the  first  day  of  July. 

The  selectmen  for  1861  were  Isaac  Kendall,  James  M. 
Swallow,  and  Ashur  G.  Jewett.  The  town  gave  forty-five 
votes  for  John  A.  Andrew  and  the  same  number  for  Isaac 
Davis  as  governor.  Mr.  Jonas  Kendall,  of  Chicopee,  presented 
a  silver  communion  service  and  a  baptismal  basin  to  the 
church.  The  men  appointed  for  jurors  were  James  Spaulding, 
Allen  Cummings,  James  T.  Burnap,  Benjamin  French,  Libni 
Parker,  Samuel  S.  Taylor,  Andrew  Spaulding,  and  A.  G. 
Jewett. 

Levi  M.  Nutting,  aged  sixteen  years,  and  son  of  Narcene 
and  Philinda  Nutting,  was  drowned  while  bathing  in  Salmon 
Brook  at  Cheney's  Bridge  on  the  3Oth  of  June  of  this 
year.  While  such  painful  accidents  are  soon  forgotten  in 
a  large  city,  they  for  a  long  time  dwell  in  the  memories  of 
the  people  of  a  rural  village,  where  casualties  much  less 
frequently  occur. 


1 864]       OLD  MEE  TING-HO USE  DESTRO  YED  B  Y  FIRE.  T  §9 

The  Dunstable  Cornet  Band  was  organized  Sept  15,  with 
Hiram  Spaulding  as  leader,  treasurer,  and  collector.  It  has 
attained  an  enviable  reputation  for  skill  in  its  musical  perform- 
ances as  well  as  for  the  gentlemanly  bearing  of  its  members. 
Its  services  are  in  good  demand  on  public  occasions  in  all  the 
neighboring  towns. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  the  town, 
alive  to  the  interests  of  the  Union,  manifested  great  activity 
in  the  enlistment  and  support  of  the  soldiers.  In  this  patriotic 
effort  to  sustain  the  government,  the  ladies  bore  a  conspicuous 
part.  Volunteers  came  forward  at  the  call  of  the  country,  and 
as  many  as  sixty-four  soldiers  from  Dunstable  shared  in  the 
privations  and  battles  of  the  war. 

Notwithstanding  the  pressure  of  the  times,  the  town  raised, 
in  1862,  $400  for  the  support  of  public  schools,  and  for  the 
first  time  voted  to  have  the  annual  report  of  the  school  com- 
mittee, at  a  cost  of  $10,  printed.  It  was  voted,  also,  to  remove 
the  old  school-house.  July  26  it  was  voted  to  borrow,  if 
needed,  $500  for  the  volunteers.  James  T.  Burnap  was  the 
town  clerk.  In  1863  it  voted  to  put  up  guide-posts  through- 
out the  town,  for  which  it  paid  about  $50.  J.  C.  Woodward 
was  chosen  town  clerk,  and  Andrew  Spaulding  one  of  the 
school  committee  for  three  years.  The  school  report  was 
printed  at  a  cost  of  $20.  In  the  year  following,  Samuel  S. 
Spaulding  was  appointed  to  take  charge  of  the  liquor  agency, 
at  a  salary  of  $12.50  for  six  months,  and  $45  were  advanced 
for  the  fixtures.  James  C.  Woodward  was  chosen  town  clerk, 
and  Freeman  L.  Robbins  one  of  the  school  committee.  $52.08 
were  paid  for  guide-posts.  The  sum  of  $500  was  appropri- 
ated for  schools,  and  it  was  voted  "  to  sell  the  rubbish  on  the 
Common."  John  A.  Andrew  had  fifty-eight  and  Henry  W. 
Paine  seventy  votes  from  the  town  for  governor. 

On  the  8th  of  October  the  old  church  in  the  Centre,  which 
had  been  the  innocent  cause  of  so  many  controversies,  was 
reduced  to  ashes.  It  was  never  supplied  either  with  an  organ 
or  with  a  bell.  In  front  of  the  pulpit  on  the  gallery  was  the 
inscription,  "  Finished  in  1793."  The  old  line  of  sheds  for  the 
horses  and  the  stone  horse-block  now  standing  in  the  wall  on 


190 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


[I865 


the  side  of  the  Common  are  the  only  memorials  that  remain  of 
this  ancient  church  edifice. 


•    -3     ~ 

THE  OLD  CHURCH,    BURNED  IN    1864. 

The  only  ministers  who  preached  in  it  permanently  after 
the  division  of  the  society  were  the  Revs.  Hiram  Beckwith, 
Russell  Streeter,  Josiah  Gilman,  and  William  Hooper,  all  of 
whom  were  popular  preachers.  The  pulpit  was  occasionally 
supplied  by  the  Rev.  Hosea  Ballou,  the  Rev.  Adin  Ballou,  the 
Rev.  Thomas  Whittemore,  and  other  clergymen  of  liberal  sen- 
timents, but  I  do  not  find  on  the  parish  records  when  or  how 
long  they  occupied  the  pulpit,  or  the  compensation  they 
received. 

By  the  State  report  the  town  had,  in  1865,  five  hundred  and 
thirty-three  inhabitants,  of  whom  two  hundred  and  seventy 
were  males  and  two  hundred  and  sixty-three  females.  Nine 
were  over  eighty,  and  three  were  over  ninety  years  old. 
There  were  only  five  persons  of  foreign  birth  in  town.  There 
were  three  blacksmith  shops,  employing  three  hands ;  value  of 
work  done,  $1,500.  Four  saw-mills,  which  turned  out  360,000 
feet  of  lumber  for  market,  valued  at  $36,000 ;  also,  shingles, 
lathes,  etc.,  valued  at  $2,100.  It  sent  eight  hundred  and  two 
cords  of  fire-wood  and  bark  to  market,  valued  at  $1,800, 


1865]  DEATH  OF  HEARY  PARKHURST,   ESQ.  jgi 

2,400  bushels  of  charcoal  valued  at  $172.  Farms,  ninety, 
equalling  9,940  acres  ;  value,  with  buildings,  $252,305.  Acres 
improved,  $,310;  hands  employed,  one  hundred  and  four. 
Unimproved  land,  2,995  acres;  unimprovable,  310;  woodland, 
1,325,  valued  at  $48,045.  Corn  (Indian),  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  acres,  bushels,  4,970,  value,  $4,970 ;  wheat,  one 
acre,  bushels,  nine,  value,  $13;  rye,  sixty-five  acres,  bushels, 
four  hundred  and  eighty-six,  value;  $486 ;  barley,  fourteen 
acres,  bushels,  two  hundred  and  nineteen,  value,  $164  ;  buck- 
wheat, seventeen  acres,  bushels,  one  hundred  and  thirty-one, 
value,  $78  ;  oats,  eighty-nine  acres,  bushels,  1,017,  value,  $610  ; 
potatoes,  seventy-six  acres,  bushels,  4,853,  value,  $2,189  >  Eng- 
lish mowing,  nine  hundred  and  forty-two  acres,  tons,  seven 
hundred  and  twenty,  value,  $12,960;  meadow  and  swale, 
seven  hundred  and  eighty-eight  acres,  tons,  five  hundred  and 
seventy-four,  value,  $4,532;  apple-trees,  1,540,  value,  $762; 
nuts  and  berries,  value,  $26  ;  sheep,  157,  value,  $1,053  ;  wool, 
six  hundred  and  seventy-three  pounds,  value,  $370  ;  horses, 
one  hundred  and  thirteen,  value,  $7,645  ;  oxen  over  four  years, 
eighty-two,  ^steers  under  four,  fifty-nine,  value  of  both,  $7,152  ; 
milch  cows,  three  hundred  and  ninety-two,  heifers,  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-two,  value  of  both,  $13,242;  gallons  milk 
sold,  62,058,  value,  $8,998  ;  butter  sold,  9,341  pounds,  value, 
$2.3355  cheese,  3,630,  $459;  beef,  dressed,  19,765  pounds, 
value,  $1,383;  pork,  dressed,  46,204,  value,  $5,313;  mutton, 
dressed,  175,  value,  $21;  veal,  dressed,  1,435,  value,  $114; 
swine,  sixty-five,  value,  $964  ;  poultry,  value,  sold,  $572  ;  eggs, 
sold,  value,  $640 ;  honey,  three  hundred  pounds,  value,  $60 ; 
other  articles,  value,  sold,  $300  ;  cloth  made  in  family,  seventy- 
six  yards,  value,  $76. 

The  allowance  for  collecting  the  taxes  this  year  was  one  and 
one  fourth  cents  per  dollar  ;  for  the  liquor  agency,  $49.17,  and 
for  the  public  schools  of  which  there  were  five,  $500.  The 
sum  of  twenty  cents  per  hour  was  paid  for  working  on  the 
highways. 

Henry  Parkhurst,  Esq.,  an  active  and  useful  citizen,  died  on 
the  4th  of  September,  aged  seventy-two  years.  He  was  often 
chosen  moderator  of  the  town-meetings,  and  served  the  town 


I92 


HISTORY  OF  D UNSTABLE. 


[I865 


in  many  other  public  capacities.  A  view  of  the  house,  built 
by  his  father,  Leonard  Parkhurst,  about  1812,  in  which  both 
Leonard  and  Henry  lived,  and  now  occupied  by  Messrs. 
Albert  L.  and  John  A.  Parkhurst,  is  here  given. 


HOMHSTKAD   OF  JOHN   A.   AND  ALBERT   L.    PARKHUKST.      * 

The  names  of  the  soldiers  sent  from  Dunstable  into  the  late 
war  are  as  follows  :  — 

ANDERSON,  HENRY,  private,  three  years,  Thirty-second  Regiment. 

BAKER,  ESAU,  served  one  year  in  the  navy. 

BARNES,  JAMES,  served  one  year  in  the  navy. 

BEAN,  FRANCIS,  enlisted  for  three  years  Dec.  19,  1863  ;  mustered  in  Jan. 

5,  1864,  private,  Company  B,  Fifty-ninth  Regiment. 
BRADY,  FREDERICK,  private,  three  years,  Twenty-second  Regiment. 
BURROWS,  CHARLES,  volunteer,  three  years,  private,  Company  K,  Four- 
teenth Regiment. 
BUTTERFIELD,  DEXTER,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  Oct.   14,  1861,  three 

years,  private,  Company  A,  Second  Regiment ;  made  a  sergeant  June 

i,  1864;  discharged  Oct.  14,  1864. 
CARKIN,  HARRISON,  volunteer,  private,  Company  C,  Fourteenth  Regiment, 

U.  S.  A.* 
CHEEVER,  ALVIN,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  Aug.  31,  1862,  for  nine  months, 

Company  A,  Sixth  Regiment. 
CONWAY,   MICHAEL,  private,  mustered  in  Aug.   14,   1862,    three  years, 

Company  G,  Forty-first  Regiment. 


1865]  SOLDIERS  IN  THE  LATE   WAR.  ig$ 

CURRIER,  WARREN,  2d,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  July  n,  1865,  three 
years,  Fifth  Battery. 

DAGLISH,  JOHN  J.,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  for  one  year  Feb.  21,  1865, 
Company  F,  Thirty-eighth  Regiment. 

DALYN,  SIMON,  private  for  three  years,  mustered  in  Aug.  14,  1862, 
Company  G,  Forty-first  Regiment. 

DAVIS,  ANCIL,  private,  nine  months  ;  enlisted  Oct.  12,  and  mustered  in 
Oct.  17,  1862,  Company  G,  Fifty-third  Regiment;  died  of  chronic 
dysentery  at  Baton  Rouge,  July  I,  1863. 

DAVIS,  JAMES  A.,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  as  a  private  for  three  years, 
Oct.  14,  1861,  Company  A,  Second  Regiment ;  wounded  at  the  battle 
of  Antietam  and  discharged  ;  re-enlisted  for  one  year,  Dec.  30,  1864, 
Company  E,  Cavalry  Frontier  Service. 

DONAHUE,  PATRICK,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  July  14,  1865,  for  three 
years,  Fourteenth  Battery. 

DOULEY,  JOSEPH,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  Aug.  31,  1861,  nine  months, 
Company  B,  Sixth  Regiment ;  discharged  Nov.  2,  1862,  for  disa- 
bility. 

DOYLE,  JAMES,  private,  three  years,  Fifteenth  Battery. 

ELDREDGE,  FRANK  W.,  private,  three  years,  Twenty-sixth  Regiment. 

FARRAR,  EDWARD,  private,  three  years,  Fifteenth  Battery. 

FINLEY,  MICHAEL,  three  years,  mustered  in  Aug.  14,  1862,  Company  G, 
Forty-first  Regiment. 

FLETCHER,  ALBERT  W.,  private,  enlisted  Sept.  2,  1862,  for  nine  months, 
Company  D,  Fifty-third  Regiment.  On  the  night  previous  to  the 
battle  of  Port  Hudson  he  gave  his  knapsack  and  money  to  a  wounded 
comrade,  to  be  conveyed  to  his  mother  in  the  event  of  his  being  killed 
in  the  battle.  He  was  last  seen  amongst  his  company  bravely  making 
the  charge  in  the  sanguinary  contest  of  June  14,  1863.  What  more 
noble  record  could  be  made  of  him  ? 

Foss,  CHARLES  V.,  private,  three  years,  Company  B,  Fifty-ninth  Regi- 
ment ;  enlisted  Dec.  19,  1863  ;  mustered  in  Jan.  5,  1864. 

GILSON,  JAMES  H.,  volunteer,  private,  mustered  in  Aug.  6,  1864,  for  three 
years,  Company  K,  Thirty-third  Regiment ;  farmer. 

HARTWELL,  ALONZO,  private,  three  years,  Company  B,  Fifty-ninth  Regi- 
ment ;  enlisted  Dec.  19,  1863. 

HARTWELL,  WARREN,  private,  three  years,  Company  B,  Fifty-ninth  Regi- 
ment ;  enlisted  Dec.  19,  1863. 

HICKEY,  JAMES,  enlisted  Aug.  13,  1864,  private,  three  years,  Second 
Massachusetts  Cavalry. 

HINDS,  HIRAM  H.,  enlisted  Aug.  8,  1864,  Reserve  Veteran  Corps. 

HOBBS,  GEORGE,  three  years,  Fifteenth  Battery. 

HUNTER,  GEORGE,  volunteer,  private,  three  years,  Company  K,  Fourteenth 
Regiment. 
13 


194  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1865 

INGALLS,  JAMES  S.,  volunteer,  three  years,  Company  C,  Twenty-sixth 
Regiment ;  discharged  and  died  at  New  Orleans. 

JACKSON,  EDWARD  P.,  private,  nine  months,  enlisted  Sept.  26,  1862, 
Company  D,  Forty-fifth  Regiment ;  he  was  promoted  to  a  corporal. 

JAQUES,  JOSIAH  S.,  Company  K,  Thirty-third  Regiment,  three  years ; 
mustered  in  Aug.  6,  1862. 

JOKES,  CORMELY  R.,  three  years,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  Aug.  8^1864, 
Reserve  Veteran  Corps. 

KAHOE,  MICHAEL,  private,  three  years,  Eleventh  Regiment;  enlisted 
Aug.  1 6,  1864. 

KELLEIKY,  JAMES,  three  years,  Twenty-eighth  Regiment. 

KEYES,  PEABODY,  volunteer,  three  years,  Twenty-sixth  Regiment. 

KEYES,  SAMUEL  P.,  volunteer,  private,  mustered  for  three  years,  Dec.  20, 
1 86 1,  New  Hampshire  Eighth  Regiment. 

KNIGHTS,  ISAAC  S.,  private,  enlisted  for  three  years,  Jan.  2,  1864,  Fifty- 
ninth  Regiment. 

LYONS,  THOMAS,  private,  nine  months  ;  enlisted  Aug.  31,  1862,  Company 
K,  Sixth  Regiment. 

MARSHALL,  GEORGE  E.,  volunteer,  private,  three  years,  Company  H, 
New  Hampshire  Seventh  Regiment ;  enlisted  and  was  mustered  in 
Oct.  14,  1 86 1.  He  died  at  Charleston,  S.  C.,  July  24,  1863,  of  wounds 
received  at  the  storming  of  Fort  Wagner  six  days  previous.  He  was 
a  prisoner  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

MAYO,  WILLARD  M.,  enlisted  as  a  private  and  volunteer  Oct.  14,  1861, 
in  Company  H,  New  Hampshire  Seventh  Regiment,  and  was  killed 
July  1 8,  f863,  at  the  storming  of  Fort  Wagner,  in  Charleston  Harbor. 

MURRAY,  MICHAEL,  enlisted  and  was  mustered  in  Aug.  19,  1864,  Com- 
pany G,  Seventeenth  Regiment. 

OSBORNE,  PRESCOTT  E.,  private,  three  years,  Twenty-sixth  Regiment. 

PAGE,  DAVID  H.,  private,  volunteer,  three  years,  Company  C,  Twenty- 
sixth  Regiment.  Died  at  New  Orleans,  Aug.  30,  1863,  of  dysentery. 

PARKER,  LUTHER  S.,  private,  volunteer,  three  years,  Company  C,  Twenty- 
sixth  Regiment. 

PEARL,  GILMAN  A.,  Company  B,  Fifty-ninth  Regiment;  enlisted  as  a 
private  for  three  years,  Dec.  19,  1863  ;  mustered  in  Jan.  5,  1864. 

PEVEY,  LYMAN  E.,  enlisted  March  4,  1865,  for  three  years,  Detachment 
of  Ordnance,  Arsenal,  Watertown. 

POOL,  LEONARD  H.,  enlisted  Aug.  8,  1864,  for  three  years,  Reserve 
Veteran  Corps. 

RAUPUCK,  HAROLD  A.,  three  years,  navy. 

RICH,  EVERETT,  was  mustered  in  March  11,  1862,  three  years,  navy. 

ROBERTSON,  WILLIAM,  private,  three  years,  Fifteenth  Battery. 

ROBINSON,  JOHN,  two  years,  navy. 

RUSMUSSEN,  CHRISTIAN,  two  years,  navy. 

SHORT,  WILLIAM,  Company  B,  Sixth  Regiment,  nine  months  ;  enlisted 


1865] 


SOLDIERS  IN  THE  LATE  WAR. 


Aug.  31,  1862,  and  was  discharged  at  the  expiration  of  his  service, 

June  3,  1863. 
STEVENS,  KIMBALL  A.,  private,  Company  B,  Sixth  Regiment  ;  enlisted 

for  nine  months,  Aug.  31,  1862. 
STICKNEY,  HENRY,  private,  Company  G,  Thirty-third  Regiment,  mustered 

in  Aug.  u,  1862,  and  died  at  Falmouth,  Va.,  Jan.  20,  1863. 
STYLES,  JOHN,  enlisted  Aug.  8,  1864,  for  three  years,  Third  Regiment  of 

Infantry. 
TAYLOR,  GEORGE  E.,  private,  three  years,  Company  A,  Second  Regiment  ; 

he  enlisted  Oct.  14,  1861,  and  died  at  Frederick,  Md.,  Feb.  8,  1862. 
TEAGREAN,  JOHN  N.,  enlisted  for  three  years  in  the  Sixty-second  Regi- 

ment. 
WELCH,  PATRICK,  volunteer,  three  years,  Company  G,  Forty-first  Regi- 

ment. 
WHITE,  Lucius,  volunteer,  private,  three  years,  Company  D,  Eleventh 

Regiment  Regular  Infantry  ;  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg, 

July  2,  1863,  and  died  on  the  day  following. 
WILKINS,    LUTHER,   private,    Company   D,    Fifty-third    Regiment,    nine 

months  ;  enlisted  Oct.  12,  1862  ;  returned  home  with  his  regiment, 

and  was  discharged  Sept.  2,  1863. 
WILKINS,  LUTHER  E  ,  enlisted  for  nine  months  as  a  private,  Company  D, 

Fifty-third  Regiment,  Oct.   12,  1862.     He  was  in  the  battle  of  Port 

Hudson,  returned  home  with  his  regiment,  and  was  discharged  Sept. 

2,  1863. 

Total,  64. 

Among  those  belonging  to  the  town  who  enlisted  in  other 
places  were,  — 

WILLIAM  W.  CUMMINGS,  First  Minnesota  Regiment. 

HIRAM  R.  KENDALL. 

ALFRED  G.  PARKHURST,  Sixth  Massachusetts  Regiment. 

CHARLES  R.  SWALLOW. 

RICHARD  H.  KNIGHTS. 

The  town  under  two  calls  paid  $3,100  for  bounties. 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1867 


CHAPTER    XII. 

DISMISSAL  OF  THE  REV.  WILLIAM  C.  JACKSON.  —  APPROPRIATIONS  FOR 
SCHOOLS.  —  THE  REV.  EDWARD  P.  KINGSBURY  ORDAINED.  —  His  EARLY 
DEATH.  —  THE  REV.  CHARLES  ROCKWELL  EMPLOYKD. —  HE  is  FOL- 
LOWED BY  THE  REV.  FRANKLIN  D.  AUSTIN.  —  THE  NASHUA,  ACTON,  AND 
BOSTON  RAILROAD  OPENED.  —  CHARACTER  OF  THE  PEOPLE.  —  THE  COM- 
MITTEE CHOSEN  FOR  A  Bl-CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  —  PREPARATIONS 

FOR  THE  SAME.  —  THE  BEAUTY  OF  THE  DAY.  —  THE  PROCESSION.  —  THE 
ORATION.  —  THE  DINNER,  SONGS,  AND  SPEECHES  FOLLOWING. 

"  They  are  not  fond  of  great  changes,  and  to  mere  innovations  they  are 
decidedly  averse.  Their  first  desire  is  to  give  their  children  a  good 
education,  and  to  maintain  the  literary  and  religious  institutions  of  the 
commonwealth.  They  acknowledge  the  importance  of  useful  employ- 
ment for  all  classes  and  ages,  and  are  desirous  that  their  children  should 
acquire  early  habits  of  study  and  industry."  ALDEN  BRADFORD. 

"  We  boast  not  the  olive,  we  want  not  the  vine, 
For  the  orange  and  citron  we  do  not  repine  ; 
We  look  at  no  climate  with  envious  eyes, 
For  what  Nature  refuses,  our  labor  supplies." 

SILAS  P.  HOLBROOK. 

J.  C.  WOODWARD  was  chosen  town  clerk  in  1866,  and  the 
sum  of  $$2$  was  appropriated  for  the  support  of  the  five  pub- 
lic schools. 

In  1867  Libni  Parker,  Freeman  L.  Robbins,  and  Thomas 
F.  Cheney  were  chosen  selectmen,  and  $700  were  devoted  to 
the  support  of  the  public  schools. 

The  Rev.  William  C.  Jackson,*  at  his  own  request,  was  dis- 

*  He  was  born  in  Eaton  (now  Madison),  N.  H.,  Feb.  7, 1808  ;  Dartmouth  Col- 
lege, 1831  ;  Andover,  1835.  He  married,  Sept.  9  of  that  year,  Mrs.  Mary  A. 
Sawyer,  of  Westminster,  and  they  sailed  from  Boston,  Dec.  4,  for  the  mission 
in  Turkey.  After  spending  a  few  months  in  Constantinople,  they  went  to  Trebi- 
zond  on  the  Black  Sea,  where  they  continued  to  labor  until  September,  1839, 
when  they  commenced  a  station  at  Erzeroom.  Here  they  remained  until  June, 
1845,  when  the  severe  illness  of  Mrs.  Jackson  necessitated  their  return  to 


1869] 


AN  ACCIDENT. 


missed  from  the  pastorate  of  the  church,  Nov.  13,  1867,  the 
cause  assigned  being  want  of  adequate  support,  and  the  people 
were  for  a  while  destitute  of  a  settled  pastor.  Mr.  Jackson 
served  the  town  faithfully,  and  one  or  more  revivals  of  religion 
occurred  under  his  ministry.  He  was  long  a  faithful  mission- 
ary in  Asiatic  Turkey,  and  was  subsequently  settled  over  the 
church  in  Lincoln,  Mass.  He  has  a  fine  musical  taste  and  is 
the  composer  of  the  beautiful  tune  of  "  Lincoln,"  on  the  one 
hundred  and  forty-fourth  page  of  the  New  Congregational 
Hymn  and  Tune  Book.  He  is  now  settled  at  Brentwood,  N.  H. 

The  interest  due  the  citizens  of  the  town  on  money  loaned 
for  the  war  was  $493.35. 

In  the  year  following  (1868),  the  sum  of  $700  was  voted  for 
schools,  and  of  $400  for  roads  and  bridges.  James  T.  Burnap 
was  chosen  one  of  the  school  committee  for  three  years. 

It  was  voted  "  to  put  that  fish  law  in  force."  Benjamin 
French  was  moderator  of  the  annual  town  meeting. 

George  W.  Woods,  son  of  Isaac  and  Eliza  Woods,  and  aged 
forty  years,  had  his  skull  fractured  by  the  fall  of  a  tree,  Dec. 
20,  and  died  in  consequence  a  few  days  afterwards. 

In  1869  Henry  J  Tolles  was  the  town  clerk,  and  the  town 
was  enjoying  great  prosperity.  It  voted  $800  for  schools,  and 
also  not  to  abolish  school  districts,  as  recommended  by  the 
State  Board  of  Education. 

Eri  Dinwiddie  Raymond,  son  of  Liberty  C.  and  Sarah 
(Spaulding)  Raymond,  of  Dunstable,  was  accidentally  drowned 
while  bathing  in  the  Merrimack  River,  at  Lowell,  on  the  27th  of 
June.  He  was  seventeen  years,  four  months,  and  six  days  old. 

The  Rev.  Edward  P.  Kingsbury,  of  Newton,  and  a  graduate 
of  Andover  Theological  Seminary,  was  ordained  but  not 
installed  over  the  church  on  the  28th  of  November,  the  Rev. 
Eben  B.  Foster,  D.  D.,  of  Lowell,  preaching  the  sermon. 

Dexter  Putnam    Proctor,  son    of  Jasper    Pope   and    Mary 

America.  In  April,  1847,  Mr.  Jackson  was  installed  over  the  church  in  Lincoln, 
where  he  continued  as  pastor  until  October,  1858  He  commenced  his  labors  in 
Brentwood,  N.  H.,  in  the  month  of  June,  1870.  His  children  are  Mary  Rice, 
Edward  Payson,  Julia  Sawyer,  Charlotte  E.,  Abbie  Isabella,  George  W.,  and 
Florence  Clough. 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

Proctor,  died  Jan.  16,  in  consequence  of  injuries  received  from 
a  falling  tree.  He  was  forty-one  years  old. 

The  number  of  inhabitants  in  1870  was  four  hundred  and 
seventy-one;  of  legal  voters,  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight. 
Among  the  town  officers  this  year,  Henry  J.  Tolles  was  chosen 
town  clerk,  D.  F.  Rideaut,  constable,  and  George  P.  Wright, 
the  pound-keeper.  The  cost  of  clearing  the  roads  of  snow 
the  preceding  winter  was  $126.46.  The  sum  of  $800  was 
appropriated  for  schools,  and  it  was  voted  "  to  clear  the  bury- 
ing-ground  at  Meeting-House  Hill"  of  bushes. 

Mr.  Kingsbury  continued  to  supply  the  pulpit  acceptably 
until  March  12,  1871,  when  declining  health  compelled  him 
to  retire.  He  died  two  weeks  afterwards  at  his  home  in  Newton 
Centre,  beloved  and  lamented  by  all  who  knew  him. 

The  Rev.  Charles  Rockwell,  at  a  salary  of  $600  per  annum 
and  the  use  of  the  parsonage,  supplied  the  pulpit  from  May  4, 
1871,  to  May  i,  1873. 

The  town  gave  in  1871  fifty  gubernatorial  votes  for  John 
Quincy  Adams,  and  forty-four  for  William  B.  Washburn,  who 
was  elected. 

In  1872  Benjamin  French,  Esq.,  was  chosen  moderator  of 
the  annual  meeting,  and  Libni  Parker  was  appointed  to  meas- 
ure wood  and  bark,  of  which  articles  a  considerable  amount 
was  yearly  furnished  for  market.  The  sum  of  $800  was 
applied  to  the  support  of  the  five  public  schools,  and  of  $500 
for  repairing  the  highways  and  bridges. 

The  valuation  of  the  town  this  year  was  $326,185.22. 

In  January  of  1873  Samuel  S.  Taylor  and  Jacob  Parkhurst 
were  chosen  deacons,  and  the  Rev.  Franklin  D.  Austin,  born 
in  Becket,  and  educated  at  Union  College  and  Auburn  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  was  employed  as  a  stated  supply,  July  i,  at 
the  same  salary  that  was  paid  to  Mr.  Rockwell.  The  number 
of  members  belonging  to  the  church  at  the  commencement  of 
the  year  was  sixty-five,  of  whom  forty-five  were  females. 

The  town  officers  for  1873  were  Freeman  L.  Robbins, 
moderator  of  the  annual  meeting  ;  Henry  J.  Tolles,  town  clerk  ; 
Washington  E.  Blood,  Ira  B.  Hall,  and  Benjamin  French, 
selectmen,  assessors,  and  overseers  of  the  poor  ;  Libni  Parker, 


l873] 


INTELLECTUAL   IMPROVEMENT. 


town  treasurer  ;  Ira  B.  Hall,  town  constable  ;  Freeman  L.  Rob  • 
bins,  superintending  school  committee;  and  L.  Herman  Parker, 
collector  of  taxes.  The  town  voted  $2,000  to  defray  the 
annual  expenses,  $900  of  which  were  for  the  public  schools, 
and  $500  for  the  repairing  of  highways  and  bridges. 

Lieut.  Francis  Fletcher,  son  of  Thomas,  grandson  of  Dea. 
Joseph  Fletcher,  and  a  valued  citizen,  died  July  28,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-five  years. 

Miss  Sarah  E.  Blood,  sister  of  Washington  E.  Blood,  and 
aged  thirty-seven  years,  was  accidentally  killed  on  the  fourth 
day  of  August  by  a  train  of  cars  on  the  Worcester  and  Nashua 
Railroad.  She  had  gone  out  to  pick  berries  for  the  tea-table, 
and  while  on  the  track  was  unconscious  of  the  approach  of  the 
train. 

The  Nashua,  Acton,  and  Boston  Railroad,  running  by  Flat 
Rock  Hill,  along  the  valley  of  Salmon  Brook  centrally  through 
the  town,  and  leaving  it  at  Massapoag  Pond,  was  opened  for 
travel  in  June,  1873.  The  ceremony  of  breaking  the  ground 
for  this  road  took  place  at  Wall  Hill  in  December,  1871,  when 
speeches  were  made  by  the  Hon.  Levi  Wallace,  of  Pepperell, 
James  T.  Burnap,  first  superintendent  of  the  road,  and  others, 
after  which  the  company  partook  of  a  collation  provided  by 
the  ladies  of  D  unstable.  The  occasion  was  enlivened  by 
salutes  from  a  cannon,  probably  the  first  one  ever  heard  near 
Massapoag  Pond,  and  by  music  from  the  D  unstable  Cornet 
Band.  The  depot  is  about  one  half  of  a  mile  west  of  Dunsta- 
ble  Centre,  and  Mr.  Thomas  F.  Cheney  is  the  depot  master. 
By  this  road  the  town  is  well  accommodated  ;  since  its  con- 
struction, property  has  advanced  in  value  and  the  activities  of 
the  people  have  been  quickened. 

Although  the  people  of  Dunstable  are  noted  for  industry 
and  sobriety,  still,  as  in  other  New  England  towns,  they 
now  and  then  break  up  the  monotony  of  every-day  life  by 
recreation  and  amusement,  and  I  record  with  pleasure  that 
these  are  of  a  character  more  intellectual  and  elevated  than 
were  those  in  which  the  people  of  the  olden  times  engaged. 
A  course  of  lyceum  lectures  is  generally  well  sustained  during 
the  winter  season,  and  the  people,  both  old  and  young,  spend 


200  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

much  more  time  than  the  preceding  generation  did  in  reading 
the  magazines  and  daily  journals.  In  the  summer  season, 
several  families  visit  the  sea-shore  or  the  mountains  for  diver- 
sion ;  and  in  the  autumn,  the  agricultural  fair,  in  place  of  the 
old  militia  muster,  with  its  many  demoralizing  influences, 
engages  the  attention.  From  it,  Dunstable  has  borne  away 
many  a  handsome  prize.  For  athletic  sports  or  games  of 
chance,  the  people  have  but  little  inclination ;  the  farm  affords 
a  sufficient  amount  of  exercise  for  the  body,  and  men  who  till 
the  soil  do  not  love  to  risk,  in  any  kind  of  gambling,  the  money 
for  which  they  work  so  hard.  Music  and  flowers  are  con- 
siderably cultivated  ;  it  seems,  indeed,  to  be  the  constant  aim 
of  every  parent  to  make  the  home  attractive,  the  home  circle 
good,  and  consequently  happy. 

The  spirit  of  republican  simplicity,  to  a  remarkable  extent, 
prevails,  and  what  is  called  family  pride  is,  perhaps,  less 
observable  here  than  in  any  other  town  in  the  county.  It  is 
said  that  if  a  lady  of  Dunstable  has  a  party,  she  invites  her 
neighbors  in  the  order  in  which  they  live,  until  her  house  is 


LIBNI    PARKEk  S   HOUSE   AND    HALL. 


full,  esteeming  one  as  worthy  of  her  attention  as  another. 
The  people,  in  general,  own  the  estates  on  which  they  dwell, 


1873] 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEB K A  TION. 


2OI 


and  had  much  rather  take  than  give  a  mortgage.  They  seldom 
run  into  debt,  and  prefer  a  large  barn  to  a  gaudily  furnished 
parlor.  There  is  but  little  foreign  element,  and  but  one  pauper 
in  town.  The  public  meetings  are  generally  held  in  a  con- 
venient hall  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Libni  Parker,  and  built 
by  Mr.  Jephtha  Cummings.  Beneath  it  are  the  post-office  and 
the  only  store  in  town,  both  of  which  are  in  charge  of  Mr. 
L.  Herman  Parker,  who,  with  his  father,  Mr.  Libni  Parker, 
occupies  the  house  represented  on  the  opposite  page. 

As  1873  was  the  two  hundredth  year  from  the  original 
settlement  or  incorporation  of  the  town,  it  was  voted  in  a  legal 
meeting  of  the  citizens,  held  in  March,  to  appropriate  $500  for 
a  bi-centennial  celebration,  to  be  observed  on  Wednesday,  the 
seventeenth  day  of  September  following.  Josiah  C.  Proctor, 
Esq.,  Dexter  Butterfield,  James  M.  Swallow,  Jonas  Spaulding, 
and  John  A.  Parkhurst  were  chosen  a  committee  to  make  ar- 
rangements. To  this  committee  were  added  William  N.  Kemp, 
Washington  E.  Blood,  Ira  B.  Hall,  Benjamin  French,  Esq., 
and  George  W.  Fletcher.  This  committee  received  a  present, 


HOMESTEAD  OF    BENJAMIN    FRENCH,    BSQ. 


unsolicited,  of  $50  from  Dexter  Roby,  of  Boston,  $50  from 
A.  N.  Swallow,  of  Charlestown,  and  $20  from  Hiram  Kemp, 


202  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [I&73 

of  Boston,  all  sons  of  Dunstable,  to  aid  in  defraying  the 
expenses  of  the  celebration.  Benjamin  French,  Esq.,  was 
appointed  chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Arrangements. 

Printed  letters  of  invitation,  as  given  below,  were  sent  out 
to  those  specially  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  town  :  — 

BI-CENTENARY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 
1673-1873. 

DUNSTABLE,  MASS.,  Aug.  28,  1873. 
REV.  ELIAS  NASON  : 

Dear  Sir,  —  On  the  seventeenth  of  September  next  this  town  will  cele- 
brate the  Two  Hundredth  Anniversary  of  the  Incorporation  of  the  town. 
We  most  cordially  invite  you  to  be  present  on  the  occasion. 
Yours  respectfully, 

BENJAMIN  FRENCH, 

Chairman  of  Committee. 

As  the  time  for  the  anniversary  *  approached,  the  town 
became  thoroughly  alive  in  making  preparations  for  the 
reception  of  its  sons  and  daughters  from  abroad,  and  for  the 
festivities  of  the  occasion.  Josiah  C.  Proctor,  Esq.,  was 
appointed  president  of  the  day,  together  with  Isaac  O.  Taylor 
and  Jonas  C.  Kendall,  as  vice-presidents  ;  Benjamin  French, 
chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Arrangements,  Dexter  Butter- 

*The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  printed  programme  for  the  occasion  :  — 
BI-CENTENNIAL  OF  DUNSTABLE. 
Wednesday,  Sept.  I7th,  '73. 
1673-1873. 

PROGRAMME. 

T7ie  Procession  will  form  at  the  Depot  at  ten  o'clock  A.  Af.,  and  march  to  the  Common. 
Exercises  on  the  Common. 

1.  Reading  of  Scripture  and  Prayer,  by  Rev.  Mr.  AUSTIN. 

2.  Music  by  the  Band. 

3.  Song  of  Welcome. 

4.  Oration,  by  GEO.  B.  LORING. 

5.  Singing  by  the  CLARK  FAMILY  (New  Ipswich). 

6.  Original  Song,  composed  by  Mrs.  MARIA  A.   WHITCOMB. 

7.  Music  by  the  Bands. 

Dinner  at  i  o'clock  P.  M.,  in  the  Tent. 

8.  Voluntary  Toasts,  Speeches,  Poems,  Singing,  and  Music ,by  the  Bands. 

9.  Parting  Hymn,  composed  by  Mrs.  CHARLES  ROCKWELL. 


WELCOME    70    THE  GROUNDS.  203 

field,  chief  marshal,  together  with  James  A.  Davis  and 
Andrew  J.  Woodward,  assistants.  Dr.  George  B.  Loring 
was  invited  to  deliver  the  oration,  and  Yale's  mammoth  tent, 
with  C.  E.  Reed,  of  Boston,  as  caterer,  was  engaged  for  the 
occasion.  Nothing  was  omitted  on  the  part  of  the  gentlemen 
and  ladies  of  Dunstable  to  make  the  celebration  a  success. 

The  i /th  of  September  opened  splendidly,  and  at  ten 
o'clock  a  procession  was  formed  at  the  railroad  station,  which 
proceeded  to  the  centre  of  the  town  in  the  following  order  :  — 

Dexter  Butterfield,  marshal  of  the  day,  and  aids,  with  the 
Dunstable  Cornet  Band  ;  two  four-horse  barouches,  one  con- 
taining Gov.  William  B.  Washburn,  the  Hon.  George  S.  Bout- 
well,  the  Hon.  George  B.  Loring,  with  Josiah  C.  Proctor,  Esq., 
president  of  the  day  ;  the  other  barouche  containing  the  Hon. 
E.  Rockwood  Hoar,  of  Concord,  Gen.  Israel  Hunt,  of  Nashua, 
together  with  Messrs.  Isaac  O.  Taylor  and  Jonas  C.  Kendall, 
vice-presidents  of  the  day.  Then  came  in  order,  Capt.  Chris- 
topher Roby's  company  of  cavalry  with  seventy  sabres,  fol- 
lowed by  the  Pepperell  Engine  Company,  No.  I,  thirty-three 
men,  with  the  Pepperell  Cornet  Band,  and  citizens  in  carriages 
and  on  foot. 

A  beautiful  stand  for  the  speakers  had  been  erected  on  the 
south  side  of  the  broad  Common,  and  a  large  number  of  con- 
venient seats  provided.  Appropriate  mottoes  covered  the 
sides  of  the  platform,  and  above  it  were  seen  the  cordial 
words,  "WELCOME  HOME."  The  dates  1673-1873,  in  wreaths 
of  flowers,  ornamented  the  speaker's  desk.  Flags  were  flying 
in  every  direction,  and  salutes  from  a  piece  of  artillery 
announced  the  arrival  of  the  long  procession  at  the  scene  of 
the  celebration.  Never  before  had  old  Dunstable  Common 
been  so  beautifully  decorated,  or  been  visited  by  such  a  throng 
of  people.  It  is  estimated  that  as  many  as  3,000  were  present. 

The  services  were  opened  by  the  reading  of  selections  from 
the  Scriptures,  and  a  prayer  by  the  Rev.  Franklin  D.  Austin. 
These  were  followed  by  spirited  music  from  the  Dunstable 
Cornet  Band,  and  an  original  song  of  welcome,  beautifully 
sung  by  the  Clark  family  of  New  Ipswich.  Josiah  C.  Proctor, 
Esq.,  then,  in  a  few  well-chosen  words,  extended  a  cordial  wel- 


204 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


come  to  the  vast  assemblage,  and  read  the  resolution  of  the 
town  in  respect  to  the  celebration.  He  then  introduced  the 
Hon.  George  B.  Loring,  as  the  orator  of  the  occasion.  This 
gentleman,  rising,  delivered  an  historical  address  in  his  usual 
happy  and  effective  manner,  commanding  for  an  hour  and  a 
half  the  earnest  attention  of  the  audience.  At  the  conclusion 
of  the  oration,  the  Clark  family  sang  effectively  "  The  Star 
Spangled  Banner."  This  was  followed  by  an  original  song, 
composed  by  Mrs.  Maria  A.  Whitcomb,  and  by  enlivening 
music  from  the  Dun  stable  and  Pepperell  cornet  bands. 

SONG  BY  MRS.  M.    A.  WHITCOMB. 

SUNG  BY  THE  DUNSTABLE  CORNET  BAND. 

Tune,  "  YANKEE  DOODLE." 

This  town  was  all  a  forest  deep, 

Two  hundred  years  ago,  sir  ; 
The  vales  were  low,  the  hills  were  steep, 

And  streamlets  wandered  through,  sir. 

Chorus  :  Yankee  doodle,  this  the  place, 

Yankee  doodle  dandy  ; 
We  like  the  good,  old-fashioned  days, 
The  people  were  so  handy. 

A  few  brave  men,  a  pilgrim  band, 

Sought  this  far-off  location  ; 
They  saw  it  was  a  goodly  land, 

And  here  they  fixed  their  station. 

Chorus  : 

From  time  to  time  the  settlers  came, 

And  built  as  they  were  able  ; 
At  length  the  town  must  have  a  name, 

And  so  t'was  called  DUNSTABLE. 

Chorus  : 

No  draught  from  China's  sultry  land 

Was  seen  at  morn  or  e'en,  sir  ; 
The  "  black  cow  "  gave  a  beverage  bland, 

Few  drank  black  tea  or  green,  sir. 

Chorus  : 


l8/3]  POEM  BY  MRS.   ROCKWELL.  20$ 

In  homespun  were  the  people  dressed, 

Of  woollen,  tow,  or  linen, 
Their  Sunday  suits,  which  were  their  best, 

Were  nicely  made  by  women. 

Chorus : 

The  girls  could  wash  and  brew  and  bake, 

And  also  were  good  spinners  ; 
The  maids  could  ply  the  hoe  and  rake, 

While  matrons  cooked  the  dinners. 

Chorus :  Yankee  doodle,  this  the  place, 

Yankee  doodle  dandy ; 
We  like  the  good,  old-fashioned  days, 
The  people  were  so  handy. 

After  the  services  were  finished  at  the  rostrum,  and  the 
people  had  spent  some  time  in  congratulations  and  in  reme- 
niscences  of  the  olden  times,  they  repaired  to  the  mammoth 
tent  erected  on  the  spacious  lawn  south  of  the  Common  to  par- 
take, as  many  as  could,  of  the  banquet  prepared  by  Mr.  Reed 
The  Rev.  Mr.  M.  Smith,  of  Tyngsborough,  invoked  the  divine 
blessing,  and  about  an  hour  was  spent  in  partaking  of  the 
bountiful  repast.  When  this  was  finished,  and  the  Pepperell 
Band  had  performed  an  inspiring  piece  of  music,  the  president 
of  the  day  introduced  felicitously  Mr.  O.  C.  Moore,  as  the 
toast-master  of  the  anniversary.  Having  made  a  few  remarks, 
he  announced  as  the  first  toast  :  "  Old  Dunstable  !  she  divided 
her  estate  among  ten  sons,  and  to-day  she  calls  them  home  and 
bids  them  welcome."  The  response  was  in  the  form  of  the 
following  original  poem,  written  by  Mrs.  Mary  Rockwell,  and 
read  by  Mr.  James  T.  Burnap  :  — 

DUNSTABLE. 

My  childhood's  home  !  what  music  in  the  sound, 

Dear  to  each  heart,  wherever  man  is  found  ! 

By  every  nation,  every  clime  and  tongue, 

In  sweetest  praise  their  dwelling-place  is  sung. 

Go  to  the  Indian  in  the  western  wild, 

Ask  him  where  Nature  has  most  kindly  smiled  ; 

He  '11  point  you  to  his  dark  old  forest  home, 

And  to  his  cheerless  wigwam  bid  you  come. 

Go  to  the  regions  of  the  frozen  zone, 


2o6  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

Where  naught  but  stinted  shrubs  and  moss  are  grown, 

Ask  the  poor  native  what  delights  his  eye  ; 

He  '11  point  you  to  his  hut  of  snow  hard  by. 

Enlightened  man  no  pleasure  here  can  find, 

And  blesses  God  that  He  has  not  designed 

To  cast  his  lot  in  regions  cold  and  drear, 

Removed  from  all  he  holds  on  earth  so  dear. 

Across  the  ocean,  in  the  eastern  world, 

Where  freedom's  banner  ne'er  has  been  unfurled, 

Where  superstition  rules  with  tyrant  sway, 

And  man,  degraded,  wears  his  life  away, 

Yet  even  here  the  heart  clings  to  one  place,  — 

Here  is  his  home,  here  dwells  his  kindred  race. 

To  nations  proud  in  wealth  and  culture  turn ; 

From  their  attachments,  too,  we  plainly  learn 

How  strong,  how  deep,  the  feeling  of  the  heart 

For  one  dear  spot  of  this  great  earth,  small  part, 

And  yet  within  that  little  space,  close  curled, 

Lies  love's  rich  treasure,  making  it  a  world. 

And  thus,  fair  Dunstable,  thy  children  come 

To  celebrate  the  birthday  of  their  home. 

Two  hundred  years  !  We  '11  bridge  across  time's  space, 

And  turn  thought  backward  on  its  swiftest  race, 

Call  back  the  forms  and  faces  that  were  here,  — 

In  mental  vision  they  will  reappear, 

Show  us  the  regions  that  around  them  lay 

Rude  and  untilled,  two  centuries  to-day. 

Then  brute  creation,  tenants  of  the  wood, 

Untamed  and  fierce,  were  prowling  for  their  food  ; 

And  savage  man,  more  to  be  feared  than  they, 

Would  lie  in  ambush  to  make  man  his  prey, 

Lurk  round  the  dwellings,  slyly  watch  and  wait 

Till  on  the  pale  face  he  could  wreak  his  hate  ; 

With  torch  to  burn  and  tomahawk  to  destroy, 

Rending  the  air  with  wild,  mad  whoops  of  joy. 

On  scenes  like  these  we  will  but  briefly  dwell, 

Truths  stern  and  sad  the  historic  page  must  tell. 

We  use  the  past  to  contrast  shade  with  light, 

And  make  the  present  look  more  clearly  bright. 

Fair  Dunstable  !  sometimes  they  call  thee  old  : 
Thy  youthful  days  are  not  yet  fully  told  ; 
The  peaceful  tenor  of  thy  even  way  , 

Has  left  no  furrows  time  and  age  display. 


,873]  POEM  BY  MRS.  ROCKWELL.  2C>7 

Thy  fields  are  fair,  thy  woods  are  bright  and  green, 
Thy  lakes  and  streams  are  dressed  in  silvery  sheen, 
On  thy  smooth  brow  is  written  early  life, 
Untrodden  yet  the  paths  of  vice  and  strife. 
But  changes  soon  will  come  thy  peace  to  mar ; 
E'en  now  is  heard  the  rattling  railroad  car 
Along  thy  wood  where  quiet  reigned  around, 
And  the  lone  night-bird's  song  the  loudest  sound, 
Till  the  last  year  of  two  long  centuries  past 
Proclaimed,  by  engine,  "  men  were  going  fast." 
Business  and  hurry  bring  on  middle  age, 
They're  foes  of  youth,  a  war  they  quickly  wage, 
Turn  peaceful  streams  from  their  calm,  gentle  course, 
Restrain  their  waters  for  propelling  force. 
The  hills  are  brought  on  level  with  the  plain  ; 
And  plains  made  hills  to  answer  hope  of  gain. 
If  such  of  sister  towns  has  been  the  fate, 
Thy  turn  may  come,  though  it  be  rather  late, 
When  on  the  morning  breeze  the  factory  bell 
Shall  to  the  sleeper  hours  of  labor  tell, 
When  whizzing  cars  on  every  side  shall  go, 
And  prove  this  place  is  neither  slack  nor  slow. 
We  '11  not  attempt  to  use  prophetic  ken, 
We  know  what  has  been  and  may  be  again  ! 

Fair  Dunstable  !  a  tribute  we  would  pay 

Thy  worthy  children,  long  since  passed  away  ! 

Of  the  first  century  history  contains 

A  warlike  record,  full  of  griefs  and  pains. 

Hearts  brave  and  noble  were  compelled  to  yield, 

And  for  a  season  leave  the  foe  the  field. 

No  doubt  that  race  were  men  of  sterling  worth, 

Beloved,  respected,  while  they  dwelt  on  earth. 

But  of  the  century  now  just  passed  away, 

More  of  thy  children  we  can  know,  and  say : 

Some  have  been  worthy  tillers  of  the  soil, 

Substantial  men,  rewarded  by  their  toil ; 

Some  in  mechanic  arts  have  spent  their  days, 

Their  works  declare  them  men  deserving  praise  ; 

And  some  have  sought  a  livelihood  by  trade, 

Have  bought  and  sold,  and  thus  their  fortunes  made  ; 

Others  preferred  in  learning's  paths  to  go, 

In  three  professions  Dunstable  can  show 

Men  who  have  made  their  mark  and  won  renown, 

In  other  places  than  their  native  town. 


2c8  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  ['873 

But  time  forbids  to  pass  each  in  review,  — 

One  name  we  'II  mention  of  the  noted  few, 

A  name  this  place  may  well  be  proud  to  own, 

Virtues  like  Amos  Kendall's  wide  are  known  ! 

Called  by  his  country  to  high  posts  of  trust, 

Honored  and  honest,  numbered  with  the  just ; 

His  friends  and  relatives  a*  with  us  here, 

And  all  who  knew  him  hold  his  memory  dear. 

An  aged  women  lives,  still  pleased  to  tell, 

She  made  him  coats  and  pants,  —  he  liked  them  well. 

In  politics  this  town  has  borne  its  part, 

Both  parties  know  the  tricks  of  party  art ; 

And  to  the  statesmen  who  are  here  to-day, 

We  pay  due  honor,  —  better  than  "  back  pay  "  ! 

Fair  Dunstable  !  thy  sons  have  had  their  praise, 

And  shall  thy  daughters  share  not  in  these  lays  ? 

To  "  woman's  rights  "  they  ne'er  have  laid  their  claim, 

To  be  right  women  is  their  highest  aim, 

Act  well  each  part  within  their  sphere  of  life, 

A  faithful  mother  and  devoted  wife. 

And  now,  fair  Dunstable,  our  work  is  done  ! 

Another  century  has  for  thee  begun  ! 

Throughout  thy  realms,  may  peace  and  temperance  reign, 

Increase  each  virtue  and  each  vice  restrain  ! 

And  when  life's  changes  all  with  us  are  o'er, 

Safe  may  we  meet  upon  that  heavenly  shore 

Where  centuries  are  uncounted  and  unknown, 

And  joys  are  endless  round  the  Eternal  Throne. 

The  second  toast,  "  The  President  of  the  United  States," 
was  responded  to  by  the  Dunstable  Band  playing  "  America." 
The  third  toast  was,  "  Massachusetts,  —  the  earliest  and  fore- 
most in  the  cause  of  civil  and  religious  liberty.  The  lapse  of 
two  hundred  years  has  added  lustre  to  her  renown,  force  to  her 
example,  and  prominence  to  her  high  place  in  history.  All 
honor  to  the  governor  !  and  the  governed  of  the  old  Common- 
wealth!" 

Gov.  Washburn  rose  and  responded  happily  to  this  sen- 
timent, and  in  the  course  of  his  remarks  said,  "  The  influ- 
ence of  old  Dunstable  upon  those  that  were  born  here  has 
caused  them  joyfully  to  return,  and  in  the  celebration  demon- 


1873]          ADDRESS  OF  THE  HON.    G.   S.  BOUTWELL.  209 

strata  their  full  appreciation  of  the  benefits  received  by  them 
from  the  place  of  their  birth." 

The  fourth  toast,  "  Our  Representative  in  Congress, —  the 
eminent  jurist,  the  practical  statesman,  the  honest  politician  : 
old  Dunstable  can  trust  him,  and  he  will  honor  her,"  received 
a  pleasant  response  from  Hon.  E.  Rockwood  Hoar,  M.  C.,  who 
said :  — 

"  The  founders  of  old  Dunstable,  with  all  the  hardships  of  pitiless 
winter,  merciless  savages,  poverty,  want,  and  disease,  still  had  some  recom- 
pense, as  they  had  no  member  of  Congress.  They  worried  over  temporal 
cases,  predestination,  and  free-will,  but  had  no  cause  to  worry  over  back 
pay  and  Credit  Mobilier.  An  occasion  more  touching,  delightful,  and 
suited  to  the  beautiful  day,  could  not  have  been  devised  than  the  celebration. 
The  town  is  the  smallest  of  the  county  of  Middlesex,  and  to-day  it  has 
seemed  like  the  old  mother  sitting  in  advanced  age  by  her  hearth-stone, 
her  family  reduced  in  numbers  by  its  contributions  to  other  neighborhoods 
and  places,  her  daughters  changing  their  names  as  they  form  new  alliances, 
but  welcoming  to  the  old  homestead  and  to  the  thanksgiving  table  her 
numerous  progeny." 

"  The  ideas  of  free  education  were  always  cherished  in  Dunstable,  and 
will  always  be  cherished  as  long  as  the  great  and  undying  principles  of 
justice  and  truth  shall  continue." 

The  fifth  toast,  "  New  Hampshire :  bleak  are  her  hills  in 
winter,  and  warm  are  the  hearts  of  her  sons  all  the  year  round," 
received  a  brief  response  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Philbrook. 

The  Hon.  Levi  Wallace  responded  to  the  sixth  toast,  "  Our 
railroad,  —  the  tie  that  binds  two  cities  that  Act-on  as  one." 

The  seventh  toast,  "  New  England  :  her  townships  were  the 
nurseries  of  Republican  institutions  ;  to-day  they  are  the 
model  democracies  of  the  world,"  called  up  the  Hon.  George 
S.  Boutwell,  who  said  :  — 

"  There  were  three  points  in  the  history  of  New  England  which  he 
never  liked  to  pass,  when  New  England  is  concerned,  namely,  the  muni- 
cipal system,  the  public-school  system,  and  the  '  religious  tolerance  of 
the  forefathers.'  It  may  be  said  of  the  Puritans  that  they  recognized  the 
right  of  government  to  set  up  a  church,  in  which  all  should  worship  and 
should  pay  toward  its  support ;  but  they  were  willing  to  have  any  church 
established  not  interfering  with  that  church,  and  thus  they  should  be  ex- 
cused from  intolerance.  The  public-school  system  is  due  entirely  to  the 
Puritan  Protestantism  which  prevailed  in  Massachusetts  long  ago.  Its 
14 


2io  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

first  object  was  to  train  up.  youth  to  be  able  to  examine  and  judge  of  the 
Scriptures  for  themselves.  He  deemed  it  a  loss  to  the  municipal  system 
that  the  towns,  as  towns,  are  not  represented  in  the  General  Court. 

"  The  larger  cities  and  municipalities  are  absorbing  and  corrupt.  They 
are  to  be  saved,  if  at  all,  by  large  legislative  bodies.  The  civil  govern- 
ment should  be  in  the  hands  of  those  who  are  well  paid.  The  assembly 
should  be  large,  and  the  cost  would,  of  course,  be  great ;  but  we  must  pay 
for  government.  He  desired  to  see  the  municipalities  strengthened  and 
their  pride  encouraged.  One  means  of  connecting  these  celebrations  will 
be  by  a  celebration  every  half-century." 

Gen.  Israel  Hunt  responded  to  the  eighth  toast,  which  was, 
"  The  City  of  Nashua." 

The  ninth  toast  was,  "The  Orator  of  the  Day :  by  the  ability, 
research,  and  eloquence  which  he  has  displayed  to-day,  he  has 
proved  himself  worthy  to  be  a  son  of  old  Dunstable,  and  we 
adopt  him." 

Mr.  Loring  responded  in  his  usual  happy  manner,  and  the 
president  of  the  day  then  announced  that,  owing  to  the  lateness 
of  the  hour,  no  more  toasts  would  be  offered. 

The  Clark  family  then  sang  an  original  parting  song,  com- 
posed by  Mrs.  Mary  Rockwell. 

CLOSING  SONG,  BY  MRS.  MARY  ROCKWELL. 
Air,  —  "DAYS  OF  ABSHNCK." 

When  with  joy  our  hearts  are  beating, 

Why  must  Time  speed  on  his  way, 
Bring  to  end  our  happy  meeting, 

Close  the  pleasures  of  the  day  ? 
Here  we  'd  love  to  tarry  longer, 

Live  again  the  happy  hours  ; 
Bind  our  friendships  firmer,  stronger, 

While  our  pathway  's  strewn  with  flowers. 

But  life's  scenes  are  ever  changing, 

Clouds  and  sunshine  come  and  go  ; 
Earthly  joys  are  prone  to  ranging, 

Few  the  gifts  their  hands  bestow. 
But  for  these  bright  hours  of  gladness 

That  have  now  so  swiftly  flown, 
We  would  banish  thoughts  of  sadness, 

Make  them  evermore  our  own  ; 


1873]  CLOSE   OF  THE   CELEBRATION.  2II 

Bid  our  friends  a  hearty  farewell, 

Give  our  wishes  warm  and  kind, 
But  we  '11  not  attempt  to  foretell 

What  another  century  '11  find. 
Ere  three  hundred  years  are  ended, 

We  shall  sleep  all  in  the  tomb. 
May  our  lives  with  Christ  be  blended, 
.   Find  through  Him  a  heavenly  home  ! 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  singing  a  salute  was  fired,  and  the 
people,  with  many  felicitations  on  the  serenity  of  the  day,  the 
excellence  of  the  speaking,  the  music,  and  the  repast,*  bade 
each  other  good  by,  and  retired  to  their  several  homes,  well 
satisfied  that  old  Dunstable  had  honorably  and  successfully 
observed  the  two  hundredth  anniversary  of  her  incorporation.* 

*  Fine  stereoscopic  views  of  the  Common,  the  decorations,  the  concourse  of 
people,  and  the  dinner-table  were  taken  during  the  celebration,  which  serve  to 
recall  vividly  the  varied  and  brilliant  scenes  of  the  day. 


212  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l8/3 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

REPRESENTATIVES  TO  THE  GENERAL  COURT.  —  COLONELS.  —  CAPTAINS. — 
DEACONS. —  PHYSICIANS.  —  COLLEGE  GRADUATES.  —  TEACHERS  — VOTERS 
IN  1873. 

"  Progress  is  the  motto  of  the  age.  Let  this  progress  not  be  confined 
to  discovery,  invention,  science,  and  art.  Let  it  be  seen  also  in  morals, 
in  the  love  of  man  for  man."  AMOS  KENDALL. 

"  Knowledge  is  thine  armor  bright, 
Liberty,  thy  beacon-light, 
God  himself,  thy  shield  of  might : 

Bow  to  Him  alone."      LVDIA  H.  SIGOURNEY. 

REPRESENTATIVES  TO  THE  GENERAL  COURT  FROM  DUNSTABLE. 

r  JO.HN  WALDO. 
1689.  \  CORNELIUS  WALDO. 

(ROBERT  PARRIS. 
,      j  JONATHAN  TYNG. 

'  \  THOMAS  HENCHMAN. 
1741.    JOHN  TYNG. 
1775-    JOEL  PARKHURST. 

1777.  EBENEZER  BANCROFT. 

1778.  JOHN  TYNG. 
1780.    JOHN  TYNG. 

1783.  JOHN  TYNG. 

1784.  JOSEPH  DANFORTH. 
1801.    JOHN  PITTS. 

1805.  ROBERT  BRINLEY. 

1806.  ISAAC  WRIGHT. 

1807.  ISAAC  WRIGHT. 

1808.  MATTHEW  SCRIBNER. 

1809.  Dr.  MICAH  ELDREDGE. 

1810.  Rev.  JOSHUA  HEYWOOD. 

1811.  Dr.  MICAH  ELDREDGE. 

1812.  Dr.  MICAH  ELDREDGE. 

1823.      Capt.   JOSIAH  CUMMINGS. 

1826.    JOSIAH  CUMMINGS,  Jr. 

1840.  HENRY  PARKHURST. 

1841.  PETER  KENDALL. 


VIEW  OF  THE    VILLAGE. 


213 


2 1 4  HISTOR y  OF  DUNSTABLE.  ^873 

1842.  HENRY  PARKHURST. 

1843.  HENRY  PARKHURST. 

1850.  IRA  HALL. 

1851.  IRA  HALL. 

1852.  BENJAMIN  FRENCH. 
1859.  ALPHEUS  SWALLOW. 
1862.  ISAAC  O.  TAYLOR. 
1865.  GEORGE  W.  FLETCHER. 
1870.  JAMES  T.  BURNAP. 

ALLEN  CUMMINGS  was  a  member  of  the  State  Senate  in  1853, 
and  the  same  year  ISAAC  KENDALL  represented  the  town 
in  the  Convention  for  the  revision  of  the  Constitution  of 
the  State. 

The  following  Dunstable  men  have  held  a  colonel's  com- 
mission :  — 

JONATHAN  TYNG. 

ELEAZER  TYNG. 

WILLIAM  TYNG. 

ZACCHEUS  LOVEWELL,  b.  July  22,  1701 ;  d.  April  12,  1772. 

JOSEPH  BLANCHARD,  b.  Feb.  n,  1704;  d.  April  7,  1758. 

EBENEZER  BANCROFT,  b.  1737  ;  d.  1827. 

FREDERIC  BLODGETT,  d.  Oct.  27,  1837,  aged  62  years. 

LEVI  P.  WRIGHT. 

The  following  Dunstable  men  have  been  commissioned  as 
captains  :  — 

JOSEPH  BLANCHARD. 

JONATHAN  BUTTERFIELD. 

JOSEPH  BUTTERFIELD. 

BENJAMIN  BUTTERFIELD,  d.  1745. 

LEONARD  BUTTERFIELD,  d.  Nov.  17,  1800. 

REUBEN  BUTTERFIELD,  b.  Oct.  1727  ;  d.  Feb.  22,  1816. 

JOEL  CUMMINGS. 

JOHN  CUMMINGS,  d.  Aug.  15,  1770,  aged  seventy-four  years. 

JOSIAH  CUMMINGS. 

OLIVER  CUMMINGS,  d.  Aug.  15,  1810,  aged  eighty-three  years. 

JOSEPH  DAXFORTH,  b.  1754;  d.  1855. 

HENRY  FARWELL. 

JONATHAN  FLETCHER,  d.  March  28,  1813,  aged  seventy-two  years. 

MARK  FLETCHER. 

NATHANIEL  FLETCHER. 

NATHANIEL  W.  GILSON. 

IRA  HALL. 


1873] 


PHYSICIANS  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


NATHANIEL  HOLDEN.     He  lived  on  the  margin  of  Howard's  Brook  and 

bore  the  name  of  "  Peacemaker." 
ABEL  JOHNSON. 
JESSE  JOHNSON. 

JONAS  KENDALL,  commissioned  April  1808;  discharged  Feb.  9,  1811. 
JOHN  LOVEWELL,  killed  at  Pequawket. 

PETER  POWERS,  b.  in  Littleton,  and  d.  in  Hollis,  N.  H.,  1757. 
CALEB  READ. 

SAMUEL  STEVENS.  He  was  from  Chelmsford,  and  d.  Dec.  10,  1805. 
ABRAHAM  SWALLOW,  commissioned  May  3,  1803,  by  Caleb  Strong. 
AMAZIAH  SWALLOW. 

CHRISTOPHER  ROBY,  now  of  West  Chelmsford. 
JEPHTHA  STEVENS. 

A  LIST  OF  THE  DEACONS  OF  THE  CHURCH  IN  DUNSTABLE. 

EBENEZER  SHERWIN,  elected  1757. 

SAMUEL  TAYLOR,  1757,  son  of  Abraham  Taylor,  and  was  born  Oct.  i, 

1708,  and  died  Oct.  23,  1792,  aged  eighty-five. 
JOSEPH  FLETCHER,  1759,  d.  July  17,  1784. 

ZEBEDEE  KENDALL,  1789;  d.  Aug.  12,  1839,  aged  eighty-four  years. 
JOEL  PARKHURST,  1794. 
ISAAC  TAYLOR,  1801. 
SAMUEL  STEVENS,  1801. 
JAMES  TAYLOR,  1814. 

MICAH  ELDREDGE,  1819  ;  d.  1849,  ag£d  seventy-three  years. 
MARK  FLETCHER,  1832;  d.  Aug.  4,  1851. 
JOSEPH  SWALLOW,  1832. 
ISAAC  TAYLOR,  Jr.,  1834. 
THOMAS  PARKER,  1845. 
CHILES  KENDALL,  1845.     He  was  born  Dec.  29,  1798,  and  is  descended 

through   Jacob2  and  Jonas8  from   John1    Kendall,  who   came  from 

Woburn  about  1726.     He  married  Susannah,  daughter  of  Dea.  James 

Taylor,  May  3,  1827. 

PHYSICIANS  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

Dr.  NATHAN  CUTLER  practised  in  town  before  the  Revo- 
lution, and  acted  as  a  surgeon  in  the  war.  He  lived  on  the 
river  road  near  Spit  or  Cutler's  Brook,  a  little  north  of  the 
State  line. 

Dr.  EBENEZER  STARR  came  to  Dunstable  from  Dedham, 
soon  after  the  Revolution,  and  lived  on  a  Kendall  Place  in  the 
northerly  part  of  the  town.  He  was  highly  esteemed  as  a 
physician  and  as  a  man.  He  died  Sept.  7,  1798,  aged  fifty- 
two  years. 


2 1 6  HISTOR  Y  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [  T  873 

Dr.  MICAH  ELDREDGE  practised  long  in  Dunstable  ;  living 
near  Salmon  Brook,  on  the  road  from  the  Centre  to  Hollis, 
N.  H.  He  married  Sally  Buttrick  of  Concord,  and  had  a 
family  of  twelve  children,  several  of  whom  received  a  liberal 
education.  He  served  the  town  in  various  capacities.  At 
one  period  he  taught  a  public  school ;  he  was  a  deacon  of  the 
church,  and  twice  elected  representative  to  the  General  Court. 
He  received  the  degree  of  M.  D.  from  Dartmouth  College  in 
1841,  and  soon  afterwards  removed  to  Nashua,  N.  H.,  where 
he  died  in  1849,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  His  son, 
HEZEKIAH  ELDREDGE,  who  was  of  the  Medical  Department  of 
Brown  University  in  1825,  succeeded  him  in  the  practice  of 
medicine  at  Dunstable. 

Dr.  MILES  SPAULDING  practised  for  some  time  in  town 
and  resided  in  the  house  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Harvey  Wood- 
ward, near  the  Centre.  He  now  lives  in  Groton.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  church  by  letter  Sept.  5,  1847,  and  dismissed 
to  the  church  in  Groton,  Oct.  29,  1851. 

Dr.  ADONIJAH  W.  HOWE  settled  here  about  the  year  1852, 
and  practised  in  town  several  years.  He  married  Miss  Martha 
D.  Butterfield,  and  occupied  the  old  tavern  house,  built  by 
Ebenezer  Kendall,  and  noted  as  one  of  the  rallying-points 
during  the  Revolution.  He  now  resides  in  Westford.  The 
town  has  at  present  no  resident  physician,  but  employs,  for 
the  most  part,  Dr.  CHARLES  DUTTON,  a  skilful  practitioner  of 
Tyngsborough. 

LIST  OF    COLLEGE  GRADUATES. 

JOHN  TYNG,  H.  C.  1691,  son  of  Jonathan  and  Sarah  (Usher) 
Tyng. 

ELEAZER  TYNG,  brother  of  the  above,  b.  in  1690;  H.  C. 
1712. 

HABIJAH  SAVAGE  WELD,  H.  C.  1723  He  was  the  son  of 
the  Rev.  Thomas  Weld,  and  was  born  in  Dunstable,  July  2, 
1702.  He  was  ordained  at  Attleborough,  Oct.  1727,  where  he 
continued  in  the  ministry  fifty-five  years.  He  died  suddenly 
May  14,  1782. 

PETER  POWERS,  H.  C.  1754,  d.  1800,  aged  seventy-two  years. 


1  8  73] 


COLLEGE   GRADUATES. 


JOSIAH  GOODHUE,  H.  C.  1/55.  •• 

JOHN  FARWELL,  H.  C.  1808,  a  lawyer. 

ISAAC  FLETCHER,  Dart  Coll.  1808,  M.  C. 

AMOS  KENDALL,  "          1811. 

JOSIAH  DANFORTH,        "          1811. 

CHARLES  BUTTERFIELD,  H.  C.  1820. 

FREDERICK  AUGUSTUS  ELDREDGE,  Dart.  Coll.  1832. 

ERASMUS  DARWIN  ELDREDGE,  Dart.  Coll.  1829. 

SAMUEL  MARK  FLETCHER,  Am.  Coll.  1846.  Born  March  i, 
1822,  and  married  Sally  Kendall  Taylor  in  November,  1849. 
He  was  a  son  of  Capt.  Mark,  grandson  of  Phineas  and  great- 
grandson  of  Dea.  Joseph  Fletcher,  the  first  settler  of  the  name  in 
Dunstable.  He  studied  medicine  in  Philadelphia,  and  practised 
two  years  in  Westerly,  R.  I.  He  was  assistant  surgeon  in  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion  ;  he  then  practised  medicine  in  Denver 
City  and  Chicago,  where  he  died  Oct.  3,  1875.  His  wife  died 
April  20,  1867.  Their  son,  Alfred  M.,  was  born  Sept.  13,  1850.* 

SAMUEL  HOWE  TOLMAN,  Dart.  Coll.  1848. 

JOSEPH  WILLARD  KEYES,  the  youngest  son  of  Joel  and 
Phoebe  (Cutter)  Keyes,  was  born  in  Dunstable,  Sept.  30, 
1837,  and  graduated  from  the  Theological  Department  of 
St.  Lawrence  University,  Canton,  N.  Y.,  1864.  He  was 
first  settled  over  the  Universalist  Church  in  Minneapolis, 
Minn.,  then  over  one  at  Arlington,  Mass.,  and  afterwards 
over  that  in  Auburn,  N.  Y.  He  is  an  earnest  and  effective 
speaker.  Under  his  ministrations  many  have  been  led  to  seek 
for  a  higher  life. 

ASA  DANFORTH  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Thomas  of 
Tyngsborough,  and  settled  in  Norway,  Me. 

ERASMUS  DARWIN  ELDREDGE,  son  of  Dr.  Micah  and  Sally 
(Buttrick)  Eldredge,  was  born  in  Dunstable,  March  10,  1804. 
He  was  graduated  at  Dartmouth  College  in  1829,  and  was 
principal  of  the  Pepperell  Academy  from  June  10,  1834,  until 
November,  1837.  He  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  in  Hampton,  N.  H.,  April  4,  1838.  From  this 
pastorate  he  was  dismissed  at  his  own  request,  May  7,  1848, 

*  See  Fletcher  Genealogy,  p.  103. 


2 1  g  HISTOR Y  OF  DUNSTABl.E.  [  j  873 

and  on  the  I2th  of  J.une  following  he  was  installed  pastor  of 
the  church  in  Salisbury,  where  he  continued  until  Nov.  I, 
1854,  when  he  was  compelled  by  ill  health  to  relinquish  the 
pastorate.  "  The  labors  of  Mr.  Eldredge,"  says  the  Rev.  B.  F. 
Foster,  in  The  New  Hampshire  Churches,  p.  413,  "were  very 
useful  to  the  church  and  acceptable  to  the  people  generally, 
and  it  was  with  much  regret  that  they  yielded  to  his  request 
to  discontinue  his  connection  with  them." 

Mr.  Eldredge  and  his  wife  subsequently  taught  a  young 
ladies'  institute  at  Monticello,  and  then  at  Milledgeville,  Ga. 
He  was  installed  at  Alton,  N.  H.,  Jan.  24,  1861,  and  is  now 
pastor  of  a  church  in  Kensington,  N.  H.  He  married,  June 
30,  1864,  Miss  Isabella  Hill,  and  is  highly  esteemed,  both  as  a 
pastor  and  as  a  citizen. 

The  Hon.  ISAAC  FLETCHER,  son  of  Joseph  and  Molly  (Cum- 
mings)  Fletcher,  and  grandson  of  Dea.  Joseph  Fletcher,  was 
born  in  Joint  Grass,  in  the  northwesterly  part  of  Dunstable, 
Nov.  22,  1784;  was  graduated  with  honor  at  Dartmouth  Col- 
lege, in  the  class  of  1808,  and  taught  for  some  time  in  the 
academy  at  Chesterfield,  N.  H.  He  afterwards  studied  law 
with  Messrs.  Prescott  &  Dunbar,  at  Keene,  N.  H.  In  18  [  I  he 
removed  to  Lyndon,  Vt.,  where  he  soon  came  into  an  exten- 
sive practice.  He  was  eight  years  State  attorney  for  Cale- 
donia County,  four  years  a  representative  of  Lyndon  in  the 
State  Legislature,  and  twice  elected  representative  to  Con- 
gress, serving  in  that  office  from  1837  to  1841.  He  was  also, 
at  one  time,  military  aid  on  the  staff  of  Richard  Skinner, 
governor  of  Vermont,  and  for  many  years  adjutant  and 
inspector-general  of  the  militia  of  the  State.  He  was  prompt, 
energetic,  and  self-reliant,  and,  as  it  were,  the  maker  of  his 
own  fortune.  He  married  Miss  Abigail  Stone  in  1813,  by 
whom  he  had  one  child,  Col.  Charles  B.  Fletcher,  who  died 
sine  prole ;  Aug.  12,  1851.  The  Hon.  Isaac  Fletcher  died 
greatly  respected,  Oct.  19,  1842.* 

In  a  letter  to  his  son,  Charles  B.  Fletcher,  the  Hon.  Isaac 
Fletcher  said  :  "  From  my  earliest  recollection,  my  constitution 

*  See  the  Fletcher  Genealogy,  p.  79.     See,  also,  Life  of  the  Hon.  Isaac  Fletcher, 
by  Isaac  F.  Redfield,  1843. 


1873]  THE  HON-  ISAAC  FLETCHER. 

and  health  have  been  feeble,  and  have  continued  so  to  the 
present  time,  but  yet  able  to  endure  much  application,  labor, 
and  fatigue.  One  rule  of  my  father's  economy  was  that  all  the 
money  spent  by  the  children  must  be  earned  by  themselves. 
By  the  greatest  industry  in  raising  potatoes  and  tobacco,  I 
possessed  myself  of  money  enough  to  buy  Pike's  large  Arith- 
metic, and  commenced  the  study  of  it  during  the  leisure  even- 
ings I  could  spare.  By  dint  of  perseverance,  I  mastered  every 
rule,  and  could  solve  any  problem  in  the  whole  book.  This 
laid  the  foundation  for  mathematical  studies,  which  have  been 
of  use  to  me  through  life.  I  have  ever  devoted  myself,  when 
opportunity  would  allow,  with  more  pleasure  to  the  study  of 
that  science  than  any  other."  He  also  said:  "In  1803  my 
father  came  to  a  resolution  to  suffer  me  to  acquire  a  liberal 
education.  He  informed  me  that  all  he  could  do  for  me  was 
to  give  me  my  time,  and  if  I  thought,  by  industry  and  economy, 
I  could  succeed  in  the  attempt,  I  might  make  the  experiment, 
but  should  I  fail,  there  would  be  always  a  seat  at  his  table  and 
food  enough  and  work  enough  for  me  to  do  on  his  farm.  Thus 
encouraged  and  supported  by  my  father,  I  collected  all  my 
movable  effects,  consisting  of  clothes  and  a  few  books,  and 
left  home  with  a  fixed  and  determined  resolution  to  tax  my 
genius  and  industry  to  the  utmost  to  acquire  an  education. 
With  budget  in  hand  I  took  my  departure  for  Groton  to  pre- 
pare for  college.  At  this  time  I  was  possessed  of  a  yoke  of 
oxen,  a  few  sheep,  and  other  property,  in  all  to  the  amount  of 
about  $150,  which  I  converted  into  cash  and  funded  in  order 
to  draw  upon  as  necessity  might  require.  I  did  not  feel  myself 
able  to  take  board  near  the  academy,  but  at  the  distance  of  a 
mile  and  a  half,  where  I  could  get  it  cheaper  than  in  the  vil- 
lage. I  commenced  fitting  for  college  in  September,  1803,  and 
entered  the  Freshman  class  in  Dartmouth  College  in  1804.  I 
may  as  well  say,  once  for  all,  my  feelings  suffered  much,  for 
my  means  were  scanty  and  my  dress  and  style  humble."  Gen. 
Fletcher  continued  his  classical  studies  through  life,  and  to 
them  added  the  study  of  the  French  language  and  literature. 
Of  him  his  biographer  says  :  "  He  was  an  indulgent  parent,  a 
kind-hearted  friend,  charitable  to  all,  unwilling  to  offend  or 


220  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 

pain  any  one,  hospitable  and  generous,  and  accomplished  more 
for  good  and  less  for  evil,  I  think,  than  most  others."  He  was 
an  honor  to  the  town  that  gave  him  birth,  to  the  State  of  his 
adoption,  and  to  humanity. 

AMOS  KENDALL,  son  of  Dea.  Zebedee  and  Molly  (Dakin) 
Kendall,*  was  born  in  the  northerly  part  of  Dunstable,  near 
Salmon  Brook,  on  Sunday,  Aug.  16,  1787,  and  was  baptized 
by  the  Rev.  Daniel  Emerson,  of  Hollis,  N.  H.,  on  the  first  day 
of  November  following.  He  spent  his  boyhood  in  hard  work 
on  his  father's  farm,  and  in  attending  school  during  the  winter 
season.  He  evinced,  in  boyhood,  a  love  of  books,  and  employed 
many  of  his  leisure  hours  in  reading.  His  sobriety  gained  for 
him  the  title  of  deacon.  He  was  fitted  for  college,  partly  at 
the  academy  in  New  Ipswich,  N.  H.,  and  partly  in  that  of 
Groton,  under  the  tuition  of  Caleb  Butler,  historian  of  that 
town.  He  was  graduated,  taking  the  highest  honor  of  his 
class,  at  Dartmouth  College,  in  1811.  During  his  college 
course  he  taught  school  in  Dunstable.  Having  studied  law 
in  the  office  of  William  M.  Richardson,  Esq.,  of  Groton,  he 
removed,  in  the  spring  of  1814,  to  Kentucky,  where  he  was  for 
some  time  employed  as  a  tutor  in  the  family  of  Henry  Clay, 
at  Ashland.  To  his  intercourse  with  this  distinguished  states- 
man he  was  largely  indebted  for  his  early  political  bias  and 
aspiration.  On  leaving  the  family  of  Mr.  Clay,  he  commenced 
the  practice  of  law,  and  subsequently  became  the  editor  of  a 
Democratic  journal,  called  the  Argus,  published  at  Frankfort, 
in  Kentucky.  He  advocated  the  election  of  Gen.  Andrew 
Jackson  to  the  Presidency,  and  was,  by  him,  appointed,  in 
1829,  fourth  auditor  of  the  treasury.  From  1835  to  1840  he 
held  the  office  of  postmaster-general.  He  succeeded  in  intro- 
ducing many  reforms  into  this  department,  and  also  in  freeing 
it  from  debt.  He  assumed,  in  1845,  tne  entire  management 


*  FRANCIS  KENDALL1  came  from  England  to  Woburn  about  1640,  and  had  four 
sons,  Francis,  Thomas,  Ralph,  and  JACOB2,  the  last  of  whom,  born  in  1686,  had 
nine  sons,  of  whom  JOHN3,  Ebenezer,  and  Abraham  settled  in  what  is  now  Dun- 
stable,  Mass.,  about  1726.  The  sons  of  JOHN*  were  JOHN*,  Jacob,  Temple, 
Edward,  and  Zebedee.  JOHN*  had  two  sons,  John  and  ZEBEDEE6,  who  was  the 
father  of  AMOS  KENDALL6. 


1873]  AMOS  KENDALL.  221 

of  the  interest  of  Prof.  SamuelF.  Morse  in  the  magnetic  tele- 
graph, and  was  the  founder  and  first  president  of  the  Deaf  and 
Dumb  Asylum  at  Washington.  He  married  for  his  first  wife, 
Oct.  i,  1818,  Miss  Mary  B.  Woolfolk,  by  whom  he  had  four 
children  ;  and  for  his  second  wife,  in  1826,  Miss  Jane  Kyle,  by 
whom  he  had  ten  children.  She  died  at  Washington  in  June, 
1 864.  The  degree  of  LL.  D.  was  conferred  on  him,  in  1 849, 
by  Dartmouth  College.  He  was  a  friend  of  the  common-school 
system  and  a  liberal  benefactor.  To  the  Calvary  Baptist 
Church  at  Washington,  which  he  was  led  to  join  from  hearing 
a  sermon  by  the  Rev.  A.  B.  Earle  on,  "Almost  thou  per- 
suadest  me  to  be  a  Christian,"  delivered  March  23,  1865,  and 
of  which  he  was  an  active  member,  he  gave  in  all  $115,000. 
He  also  contributed  about  $20,000  to  the  Deaf  and  Dumb 
Asylum,  $6,000  to  found  a  scholarship  in  Columbia  College, 
and  about  $25,000  in  aid  of  two  mission  schools,  one  of  which 
is  called  Kendall's  Chapel.  In  the  autumn  of  1862  he  went 
to  live  at  "Kendall  Green,"  in  Taunton,  N.  J.,  and  in  1866 
made  a  long  visit  to  Europe  and  the  Holy  Land.  He  died  at 
Washington,  on  the  twelfth  day  of  November,  1869,  leaving  in 
manuscript  an  Autobiography,  which  his  son-in-law  has  since 
published  in  a  handsome  volume  of  seven  hundred  pages. 

Mr.  Kendall  was  a  vigorous  writer,  and  faithfully  served  the 
administration  of  whose  cabinet  he  was  a  member  so  influ- 
ential as  to  be  called  the  President's  "  right-hand  "  man.  He 
was  a  prominent  actor  on  the  political  arena  for  almost  a  third 
of  a  century  ;  he  was  a  public  benefactor  and  a  devout  Christian. 
On  the  morning  of  his  death  he  asked  to  see  the  sun  rise,  and 
then  exclaiming,  "How  beautiful,  how  beautiful!"  he  soon 
closed  his  eyes,  and  died  in  peace. 

At  his  funeral  the  Rev.  Dr.  Sunderland  said,  "  He  was  a 
man  of  great  modesty  of  disposition.  He  sought  no  display, 
and  if  he  had  a  fault  it  was  that  he  was  altogether  too  retiring 
and  diffident.  He  was  an  honest  man,  purely  and  exactly  a 
faithful  man.  Honest  and  faithful  to  his  fellow-men,  he  was  no 
less  so  to  his  God."  Of  him,  also,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Samson  said, 
"  From  his  youthful  editorials  up  to  his  elaborate  papers  there 
were  a  clearness  and  force  and  a  fascination,  of  which  many 


222  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

still  speak  as  haying  riveted  their  attention  whenever  they 
took  up  anything  coming  from  his  pen.  .  .  .  As*«hge  and 
the  refining  influence  of  growing  religious  faith  and  hope  mel- 
lowed the  ripening  fruit  of  his  last  years,  a  sweetness  and 
serenity  of  temper  came  over  him  which  made  his  family  and 
every  circle  where  his  hoary  locks  were  seen  moving,  take  on 
a  new  delight  because  of  his  presence." 

The  following  description  of  Deacon  Zebedee  Kendall's 
farm  is  taken  from  his  distinguished  son's  entertaining  Auto- 
biography :  — 

"  The  farm  was  composed  of  bog  meadow,  pine  plains,  and  oak  hills. 
The  meadows  yielded  the  coarser  kinds  of  grasses,  intermixed  with 
various  ferns,  cranberry-vines,  and  small  bushes,  but  they  also  sup- 
plied most  of  the  hay  on  which  the  cattle  subsisted  during  the  long 
New  England  winters.  Through  these  meadows  meandered  a  slug- 
gish stream  called  Salmon  Brook,  stocked  with  various  kinds  of  fish. 
The  pine  plains  rested  on  a  bed  of  gravel,  and,  except  along  the  foot 
of  the  hills,  were  almost  barren.  From  these,  however,  the  bread  of 
the  family  was  for  the  most  part  drawn.  Next  to  the  hills  there  were 
two  four-acre  fields,  cultivated  alternately  in  corn  and  rye.  The  corn 
crop  was  always  manured,  and  the  rye  was  sown  in  the  fall  among  the 
corn,  so  that  these  fields  were  manured  alternately  every  other  year. 
The  plains  between  the  fields  and  the  meadows  were  generally  used  as 
sheep  pastures,  but  once  in  five  or  six  years  they  produced  a  very  small 
crop  of  rye  of  excellent  quality. 

"  The  oak  hills  were  composed  of  a  clay  soil,  so  full  of  rocks  in  many 
places  as  to  preclude  cultivation  without  removing  them.  With  great 
labor  small  tracts  were  so  far  cleared  as  to  become  good  upland  meadow, 
furnishing  excellent  hay  for  horses  and  working  spans.  These  uplands 
supplied  an  abundance  of  stones,  with  which  the  whole  farm,  except  the 
pine  plains,  was  enclosed  ;  the  fences  were  of  stone,  combined  with  posts 
and  rails.  The  upland  meadows  were  cultivated  in  potatoes  or  corn  once 
in  five  or  six  years,  but  seldom  in  rye,  on  account  of  its  inferior  quality 
when  produced  on  a  clay  soil.  A  patch  of  flax  was  generally  a  part  of 
the  annual  crop,  and  this,  with  the  wool  from  a  small  flock  of  sheep,  manu- 
factured and  made  up  in  the  household,  furnished  almost  the  entire  cloth- 
ing of  the  family.  The  rougher  portions  of  the  upland,  much  of  which 
was  never  cultivated,  furnished  pasturage  for  the  horses,  oxen,  and  milch 
cows  during  the  summer." 

Mr.  Kendall  thus  vividly  describes  the  discipline  of  his 
father's  family  :  — 


1873]  A    WILD  FLOWER.  223 

"  Grace  before  and  thanks  after  meat,  and  morning  and  evening  prayers, 
with  the  reading  of  a  chapter  in  the  Bible  and  the  singing  of  a  hymn  of 
Sunday,  accompanied  by  the  bass-viol,  played  by  their  eldest  son  while 
he  was  at  home,  constituted  the  regular  religious  exercises  of  the  family. 
The  father  and  mother  never  failed  to  attend  church  on  Sunday,  except 
in  case  of  sickness  or  when  absent  from  home  ;  and  the  entire  family,  one 
member  only  excepted,  were  required  to  maintain  a  like  regularity  in  Sab- 
bath observances.  Except  in  special  cases,  all  labor  beyond  the  simplest 
preparation  of  food  for  man  and  beast,  and  all  recreation  were  strictly  pro- 
hibited on  Sunday.  The  evening  was  spent  in  learning  and  reciting  the 
Westminster  Catechism,  in  reading  religious  books,  and  in  practising 
sacred  music.  The  whole  family  could  sing,  and  when  all  were  present, 
could  carry  all  the  four  parts  of  ordinary  tunes." 

The  following  incident  indicates  the  change  which  came 
over  the  good  Dea.  Zebedee  Kendall,  in  respect  to  the  use  of 
an  innocent  instrument:  — 

'i  When  Amos  was  a  little  boy,  a  fiddle  was  an  abomination  to  his  father 
and  mother.  His  eldest  brother,  who  had  quite  a  taste  for  music,  having 
constructed  a  bass-viol  or  two,  determined  to  try  his  hand  upon  a  fiddle, 
and  produced  a  very  good  instrument.  Not  daring  to  bring  it  to  the 
house,  he  kept  it  in  a  cooper's  shop,  not  far  distant.  His  father,  hunting 
there  for  something  one  day,  mounted  a  bench  so  that  his  head  was  raised 
above  the  beams  of  the  shop,  when  his  eyes  fell  upon  the  unlucky  fiddle. 
He  took  it  by  the  neck,  and  apostrophizing  it,  '  This  is  the  first  time  I  ever 
saw  you  ! '  dashed  it  into  the  fireplace. 

"  Being  on  a  visit  to  his  parents  about  thirty  years  afterwards,  Amos 
Kendall  went  to  meeting  in  Dunstable  on  a  Sunday,  and  there  sat  his 
father  in  the  deacon's  seat,  beneath  the  pulpit,  as  in  former  times,  and 
there  was  a  fiddle  in  the  choir  !  " 

Mr.  Kendall  sometimes  invoked  the  Muses.  The  following 
graceful  lines  were  sent  to  his  wife  in  1829 :  — 

TO  A  WILD  FLOWER. 
BY  AMOS  KENDALL. 

On  the  white  cliffs  of  Elkhorn,  with  cedars  o'erspread, 
Where  beauty  and  wildness  in  silence  repose, 

A  gay  little  wild  flower  raised  up  its  head, 
By  zephyrs  caressed  as  in  sweetness  it  rose. 

Its  beauties  no  culture  could  ever  impart, 
No  garden  nor  meadow  can  boast  such  a  gem  ; 

All  native  it  blossomed,  for  never  had  art 
Transplanted  its  root  or  enamelled  its  stem. 


224  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l873 

I  saw  it  and  loved  it ;  and  now  on  my  breast 

It  breathes  out  its  fragrance,  its  beauty  displays  ; 

My  heart  leaps  to  meet  it,  in  ecstasy  blest, 
The  dream  of  my  nights  and  the  charm  of  my  days. 

And  oh,  thought  of  rapture  !  not  like  other  flower 
Does  it  droop  on  the  air,  life  and  loveliness  flinging ; 

But  its  charms  and  its  fragrance  increase  every  hour, 
And  sweet  little  buds  all  around  it  are  springing. 

Autobiography,  p.  288. 

On  his  return  from  Europe,  Mr.  Kendall  said  to  a  friend  of 
the  writer,  Jeremiah  Colburn,  Esq.,  of  Boston,  "I  was  thin  and 
slender  when  a  boy,  I  was  thin  and  slender  when  I  arrived  at 
manhood,  and  you  see  I  am  thin  and  slender  still." 

The  Rev.  SAMUEL  HOWE  TOLMAN,  only  son  of  the  Rev. 
Samuel  and  Rachel  (Damon)  Tolman,  was  born  here  Aug. 
12,  1826,  graduated  at  Dartmouth  College  in  1848,  and 'at 
Andover  Theological  Seminary  in  1852.  He  acted  as  city 
missionary  in  Bath,  Me.,  from  1853  to  1855,  and  was  ordained 
as  pastor  of  the  church  at  Wilmington,  Mass.,  Aug.  14,  1856. 
He  was  dismissed  in  1870,  and  became  pastor  of  the  church 
in  Lenox,  Mass.,  April  2,  1872  ;  but  his  mind  becoming  shat- 
tered, he  committed  suicide  at  Nelson,  N.  H.,  Oct.  6,  1873. 
He  was  a  faithful  and  highly  esteemed  minister  of  the  gospel.* 

The  Rev.  JOHN  SPAULDING,  D.  D.,  though  born  in  Mason, 
N.  H.,  Nov.  30,  1800,  went  to  Middlebury  College  in  1821, 
from  Dunstable,  where  he  had  been  for  some  time  employed 
in  working  on  a  farm.  He  studied  theology  at  Andover,  and 
was  ordained  as  an  evangelist  at  Newburyport,  Sept.  25,  1828. 
On  the  same  day  he  was  married  to  Miss  Olive  C.  B.  Kendall, 
daughter  of  Capt.  Jonas  Kendall,  of  Dunstable.  She  died 
March  14,  1852,  and  her  remains  were  brought  to  her  native 
town  for  interment.  The  field  of  Dr.  Spaulding's  early  min- 
isterial labors  was  in  the  West.  In  1841  he  became  secretary 
of  the  American  Seamen's  Society  in  New  York  City.  He 
delivered  a  very  able  historical  discourse  in  the  church  at  Dun- 
stable,  Nov.  19,  1865,  and  subsequently  published  an  Autobiog- 

*  See  Congregational  Quarterly  for  January,  1874. 


1 8/3]  SCHOOL-TEACHERS. 

raphy  entitled  From  the  Plow  to  the  Pulpit,  which  is  written 
in  a  very  pleasing  style. 

Aside  from  ij;s  college  graduates,  Dunstable  has  produced 
many  sons  and  daughters  who,  by  their  virtues  and  abilities, 
have  adorned  alike  the  offices  of  public  and  the  quiet  walks 
of  private  and  domestic  life. 

Among  its  teachers  may  be  mentioned  Miss  SUSANNAH 
BANCROFT,  daughter  of  Col.  Ebenezer  Bancroft,  who  taught 
successfully  for  many  years.  She  married  the  Rev.  David 
Howe  Williston  of  Tunbridge,  Vt,  and  died  Jan.  8,  1838. 
Her  sister,  CHLOE  BANCROFT,  born  Nov.  8,  1768,  was  also  a 
noted  teacher  in  her  day.  She  married  Oliver  Richardson,  of 
Chelmsford,  and  died  Jan.  17,  1807.  Miss  ELIZABETH  KEN- 
DALL, daughter  of  Temple  Kendall,  and  born  Feb.  8,  1760, 
was  long  a  popular  teacher.  Miss  CATHARINE  PARKHURST, 
daughter  of  Joel  Parkhurst,  Esq.,  born  March  14,  1770,  and 
Miss  SUSANNAH  WOODS  were  eminent  school-mistresses.  Miss 
RHODA  TAYLOR,  daughter  of  Dea.  Samuel  Taylor,  attained 
distinction  as  a  teacher.  She  married  Mr.  Oliver  Wright,  and 
had  a  daughter  who  went  out  as  a  teacher  to  Burmah.  Miss 
SALLY  INGALLS  stood  high  as  a  teacher  as  early  as  1816,  and 
afterwards  married  a  Mr.  Fife.  Miss  SARAH  BENNETT,  daughter 
of  Jonathan  Bennett,  Esq.,  acquired  an  enviable  reputation  as 
a  teacher,  and  subsequently  married  Dr.  Hezekiah  Eldredge. 
The  Misses  SUSAN,  CATHARINE,  and  AMANDA  KENDALL, 
daughters  of  Capt.  Jonas  Kendall,  were  all  good  and  faithful 
teachers.  This  family  purchased  the  first  piano  owned  in 
Dunstable.  Miss  MARIA  SWALLOW,  afterwards  Mrs.  Francis 
Fletcher,  taught  for  several  years  with  success.  She  is  the 
daughter  of  Asa  and  Susannah  (Woods)  Swallow,  and  at  the 
close  of  her  services  as  a  teacher  was  married  to  Lieut.  Francis 
Fletcher,  whom  she  survives.  Her  father,  born  May  i,  1767, 
was  the  son  of  Amaziah  Swallow,  who  was  born  Nov.  22,  1732. 
He  married,  first,  Elizabeth  Kendall  in  1758,  and  second, 
Mrs.  Mary  Woods,  Feb.  16,  1786.  The  Misses  HANNAH 
and  ROXANNA  TAYLOR,  daughters  of  Mr.  Jonas  Taylor,  were 
well  educated  and  highly  esteemed  as  teachers.  The  former 
married  Mr.  James  Bowers,  of  Lowell,  and  is  still  living.  In 
15 


226  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 

the  year  1831  as  many  as  twenty-two  teachers  received  cer- 
tificates from  the  examining  committee  as  being  qualified  for 
the  office  of  teacher.  Several  had  studied  at  the  academies 
in  Groton,  Bradford,  and  New  Ipswich  At  a  later  period 
Miss  EMMA  TAYLOR,  daughter  of  Mr.  Samuel  Taylor,  and 
now  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  F.  D.  Sargent,  of  Brookline,  N.  H., 
was  held  in  high  estimation  as  a  teacher.  Miss  HANNAH  M. 
PARKHUKST,  daughter  of  Henry  Parkhurst,  has  obtained  an 
enviable  reputation  as  a  teacher  in  the  State  of  New  York 

The  teachers  of  the  public  schools  in  1873  were  Caroline  F« 
Danforth,  Lucy  A.  Robbins,  R.  E.  Luce,  A.  A.  Bancroft* 
Lizzie  Nottage,  Emma  J.  Cheney,  Hattie  J.  Murphy,  and 
Ellen  E.  Kendall. 

ALFRED  MARK  FfcETCHER,  born  in  Dunstable,  Sept.  13, 
1850,  studied  music  two  years  in  Berlin,  and  is  now  a  noted 
teacher  of  the  organ  and  piano  in  Chicago. 

Dr.  JOHN  A.  CUMMINGS,  son  of  John  Alfred  Cummings, 
attained  celebrity  as  a  dentist,  and  was  the  inventor  of  the 
application  of  vulcanized  rubber  to  dental  purposes.  He  visited 
Europe  in  1863,  and  died  in  1869.  His  great-grandfather, 
Nathaniel  Cummings,  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  at 
Unquetynasset. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  persons  in  the  town  of  Dunstable 
qualified  to  vote  in  elections,  for  State,  county,  and  town 
officers,  and  for  representatives  to  Congress,  as  made  out  by 
the  selectmen  the  twentieth  day  of  February,  1873  :  — 

BLODGETT,  GEORGE  Z.  CUMMINGS,  ISAAC  P. 

BLODGETT,  GEORGE  T.  CUMMINGS,  ALLEN,  Esq. 

BLOOD,  MILES  CUMMINGS,  OLIVER 

BLOOD,  W.  E.  CUMMINGS,  EVERETT  M. 

BENNETT,  JAMES  CARKIN,  AMOS 

BUTTERKIKLD,  PESTER  CARKIN,  ALBERT  B. 

BUTIERFIELD,  ASA  T.  DARLING,  DAVID' L. 

BROOKS,  LAWRENCE  DOWNING,  JAMES  L. 

BROOKS,  EDWIN  H.  DAVIS,  MOSES 

CHAPMAN,  ELBRIDGE  G.  DAVIS,  JAMES  A. 

CHAPMAN,  CHARLES  H.  DAVIS,  THADDEUS  U. 

CHENEY,  THOMAS  F.  DAVIS,  \\"M.  A. 

CHENEY,  JOHN  B.  DANFORTH,  VILAS 

CHENEY,  WM.  F.  DIVOLL,  CHARLES  B. 

CUMMINGS,  JOSIAH  T.  FLETCHER,  FRANCIS 


1873] 


VOTERS  IN  1873. 


227 


FLETCHER,  GEORGE  W. 
FRENCH,  BENJAMIN,  Esq. 
FRENCH,  WM.  L. 
FARNHAM,  GEORGE 
GILSON,  ANDREW  J. 
GILSON,  GEORGE  F. 
GILSON,  ASAHIEL 
GILSON,  JAMES  H. 
GILSON,  JOEL 
GILSON,  JEROME  F. 
GILSON,  ALVA 
Goss,  JOSEPH  W. 
GOOK,  GEORGE 
HALL,  IRA 
HALL,  IRA  B. 
HOWARD,  SAMUEL 
HALEY,  EDWARD 
JEWETT,  ASHUR  G. 
KENDALL,  ISAAC 
KENDALL,  JAMES 
KENDALL,  CHILES 
KENDALL,  JONAS  C. 
KENDALL,  ANDREW  T. 
KENDALL,  NATHANIEL  C. 
KENDALL,  WM. 
KENDALL,  ALMOND  M. 
KEYES,  DARWIN  P. 
KEMP,  WM.  N. 
MARSHALL,  CLEMENT 
PROCTOR,  JOSIAH  C.,  Esq. 
PROCTOR,  JONATHAN 
PROCTOR,  Z.  P. 
PARKHURST,  GEORGE 
PARKHURST,  THOMAS  H. 
PARKHURST,  ALBERT  L. 
PARKHURST,  JOHN  A. 
PARKHURST,  BENAJAH 
PARKHURST,  AMERICUS 
PARKHURST,  OWEN  A. 
PARKHURST,  JACOB,  Jr. 
PARKHURST,  LYMAN  V. 
PARKER,  THOMAS 
PARKER,  JONATHAN 
PARKER,  LIBNI 
PARKER,  L.  H. 

DUNSTABLB,  Feb.  20,  1873. 


PERKINS,  JEREMIAH 
PAGE,  WM.  H. 
PLUMMER,  JOHN  K. 
PRESCOTT,  CHAS.  A. 
RYDER,  SANFORD  U. 

ROBBINS,  JOTHAM 

ROBBINS,  FREEMAN  L. 
RIDEAUT,  DAVID 
RIDEAUT,  DAVID  F. 
RICHARDSON,  DANIEL 

ROBY,  "GlLMAN 

ROCKWELL,  CHARLES 
RYDER,  JAMES  H. 
SEARLES,  CHARLES  W. 
SPAULDING,  SAMUEL  T. 
SPAULDING,  JONAS 
SPAULDING,  HIRAM 
STURTEVANT,  ASAPH  E. 
SWALLOW,  JOHN 
SWALLOW,  DANIEL 
SWALLOW,  ALPHEUS 
SWALLOW,  JAMES  M. 
STEADMAN,  EBENEZEB 
STORY,  SOLOMON 
STORY,  ARTHUR  B. 
TAYLOR,  SAMUEL  S. 
TAYLOR,  ISAAC  O. 
TAYLOR,  OLIVER 
TAYLOR,  ELIOTT  O. 
TUTTLE,  CHARLES 
TOLLES,  HENRY  J. 
TULLY,  HENRY  L. 
UPTON,  PETER  K. 
WOODWARD,  JAMES 
WOODWARD,  JAMES  C. 
WOODWARD,  CHARLES  N. 
WOODWARD,  JONATHAN  H. 
WOODWARD,  ANDREW  J. 
WHITCOMB,  LOWELL 
WESTON,  CHARLES  E. 
WESTON,  JAMES  E. 
WOODS,  ISAAC  N. 
WOODS,  SUMNER 
WRIGHT,  GEORGE  P. 
YOUNG,  WALLACE  N. 


FREEMAN  L.  ROBBINS, 
WASHINGTON  E.  BLOOD, 
JOHN  A.  PARKHURST, 


Selectmen 
of  Dunstable, 


228  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

INSCRIPTIONS  ON  THE  HEADSTONES  OF  THE  OLD  CEMETERY  ON  MEETING- 
HOUSE HILL. —  INSCRIPTIONS  FROM  THE  BURIAL-PLACE  NEAR  THE  SITE  OF 
"  THE  HAUNTED  HOUSE."  —  INSCRIPTIONS  FROM  THE  GRAVESTONES  IN 
THE  OLD  BURIAL-PLACE  AT  LITTLE'S  STATION.  —  INSCRIPTIONS  FROM  THE 
GRAVEYARD  NEAR  THE  HOUSE  OF  ALPHEUS  SWALLOW.  ESQ.  —  INSCRIP- 
TIONS FROM  THE  CENTRAL  CEMETERY.  —  LIST  OF  DEATHS,  FROM  THE 
TOWN  RECORDS.  —  LIST  OF  BIRTHS,  FROM  THE  TOWN  RECORDS. 

"  The  churchyard,  to  the  inhabitants  of  a  rural  parish,  is  the  place  to 
which  as  they  grow  older  all  their  thoughts  and  feelings  turn." 

JOHN  WILSON. 
"  Our  labors  done,  securely  laid 

In  this  our  last  retreat, 
Unheeded  o'er  our  silent  dust 
The  storms  of  life  shall  beat." 

HENRY  K.  WHITE. 

THE  following  inscriptions  on  the  head-stones  in  the  old 
burial-place  on  Meeting-House  Hill  were  copied  by  Mr.  Dexter 
Butterfield  :  — 

Here  Lyes  the  Body  of  Mrs.  RACHEL  TAYLOR,  who  Departed  this  Life 
the  1 7th  of  February,  A.  D.  1754,  Aged  5  years,  9  months,  and  4  days. 

Here  Lyes  the  Body  of  RACHAL  PIKE,  Relict  (sic)  of  Beniamin,  who 
Departed  this  Life  the  26th  of  Decemb.,  A.  D.  1754,  Aged  7  years,  4 
months,  &  14. 

This  is  the  First  pas. 

Here  lies  Buried  The  Body  of  Ensign  EBENEZER  PARKHURST,  who 
Departed  This  Life  June  The  ijth,  1757,  in  The  s8th  Year  of  his  Age. 

From  Deaths  Arit'  no  Age  is  Free. 

MEMENTO  MORI.  Here  lies  Buried  the  body  of  Lieut.  JOHN  KEN- 
DALL, who  departed  this  life  July  the  27th,  An.  Dom.,  1759,  Aged  63 
years,  6  months,  and  8  days.  Few  and  Evil. 

Life  is  a  Blessing  can't  be  sold, 

The  Ransom  is  too  high  ; 
Justice  will  ne'er  be  brib'd  with  gold, 

That  Man  mav  ne%-er  die. 


l873l         INSCRIPTIONS  ON  MEETING-HOUSE  HILL.  229 

You  see  the  Foolish  &  the  Wise, 

The  Timerous  &  the  Brave, 
Quit  their  Possessions,  close  their  eyes, 

And  hasten  to  the  Grave.  —  WATTS. 

MEMENTO  MORI.  Here  lies  the  Body  of  Mr.  JOHN  STEEL,  who 
Departed  this  Life  August  the  8th,  1760,  Aged  57  years. 

The  Memory  of 
The  Just 
Is  Blist. 

Here  lies  Buried  the  Body  of  JOSEPH  GOODHUE,  Son  of  the  Rev. 
Josiah  Goodhue  and  Mrs.  Elizabeth  his  Wife,  who  departed  this  life  the 
4th  day  of  March,  1761,  Aged  19  Days. 

From  Deaths  Arrest  no  age  is  free. 

Here  lies  the  Body  of  Mrs.  JANE  STEEL,  Relict  of  Mr.  John  Steel,  who 
Departed  This  Life  Nov.  20,  A.  D.  1764,  in  the  6oth  year  of  her  age 

Here  lies  the  Body  of  Mrs.  RUTH  KENDALL,  the  wife  of  Mr.  Abra- 
ham Kendall,  who  departed  this  Life  June  17,  A.  D.  1765,  in  the  6gih 
year  of  her  age. 

Here  lies  the  Body  of  Mrs.  SARAH  FRENCH,  wife  of  Mr.  Ebenezer 
French,  who  departed  this  Life,  May  22d,  1767,  in  the  27th  year  of  her 
age. 

Here  lies  the  Body  of  Mrs.  ABIGAIL  BLOOD,  Wife  of  Mr.  Robert  Blood, 
who  departed  this  Life  August  14,  1767,  In  the  3ist  year  of  her  age. 

MEMENTO  MORI.  Here  lies  the  body  of  Capt.  JOHN  CUMMINGS,  who 
departed  this  Life  Aug.  I5th,  1770,  In  ye  75  year  of  his  Age. 

Mrs.  JOANNA  BUTTERFIELD,  wife  of  Capt.  Leonard  Butterfield,  who 
departed  this  Life  May  ye  26th,  1771,  aged  28. 

In  Memory  of  Mr.  JOSEPH  PIKE,  who  Departed  this  Life  March  28th, 
1778,  In  the  88  year  of  his  age. 

MEMENTO  MORI.  In  Memory  of  Mrs.  MARY  READ,  wife  of  Mr. 
Timothy  Read,  Junr.,  who  departed  this  Life  Nov.  3d,  1778,  in  the  7ist 
year  of  her  age. 

MEMENTO  MORI.  Here  Lies  the  Body  of  Miss  SCIBEL  READ, 
Daughter  of  Mr.  Timothy  Read,  Junr.,  and  Mrs.  Susannah,  his  wife,  who 
Departed  this  Life,  Julyye  27th,  1781,  Aged  18  years,  3  months,  &  6  days. 

Dear  friends  for  me  pray  Do  not  weep, 
I  am  not  dead  but  here  Do  sleep, 
Within  this  solid  Lump  of  Clay, 
Until  the  Reserection  day  ; 
And  here  indeed  I  must  Remain, 
Till  Christ  shall  Raise  me  up  again. 


230 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


Erected  in  Memory  of  Mrs.  ELIZABETH  SWALLOW,  wife  of  Lieut. 
Amaziah  Swallow,  who  departed  this  Life  Dec.  gth,  A.  D.,  1784,  Aged  45 
years,  10  months,  and  17  days. 

Retire,  my  Friends,  dry  up  your  Tears, 
Here  I  must  lie  till  Christ  appears. 

In  Memory  of  Mrs.  ELIZABETH  CUMINGS,  wife  of  Capt.  John  (Turn- 
ings, who  died  July  2d,  1793,  Aged  78. 

In  Memory  of  Mr.  TIMOTHY  READ,  who  departed  this  Life  April  26th, 
1799,  in  the  86th  year  of  his  age. 

Sacred  In  Memory  of  Mr.  ABRAHAM  KENDALL,  who  died  Nov.  14, 
1799,  Act  87. 

In  Memory  of  Mrs.  HANNAH  TAYLOR,  wife  of  Mr.  David  Taylor, 
who  died  Oct.  3d,  1800,  Aged  81  years. 

Behold  and  see,  as  you  pass  by, 
As  you  are  now,  so  once  was  I  ; 
As  I  am  now,  so  you  must  be, 
Prepare  for  death  and  follow  me. 

Erected  in  Memory  of  Capt.  LEONARD  BUTTERFIELD,  who  departed 
this  Life  Nov.  17,  1800,  Aged  60  years. 

Erected  in  Memory  of  Lieut.  AMAZIAH  SWALLOW,  who  died  Jan.  2ist, 
1803,  Oct.  17. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  EBENEZER  FRENCH,  who  died  April  14,  1808,  In  his 
77th  year. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Mr.  DAVID  TAYLOR,  who  died  Dec.  15, 
1809,  Aet  88, 

The  following  inscriptions  are  abbreviated  :  — 

Olive,  wife  of  Capt.  Leonard  Butterfield,  d.  Jan.  26,  1817,  aged  79  years. 
John,  son  of  Capt.  Leonard  Butterfield,  d.  Oct.  18,  1778,  aged  10  months. 
Sarah,  dau.  of  Capt.  Leonard  Butterfield,  d.  June  30,  1809,  aged  31  years. 
Sarah,  dau.  of  Capt.  Leonard  Butterfield,  d.  Oct.  28,  1778,  aged  9  years. 
Molly,  dau.  of  Capt.  John  Cummings,  d.  Aug.  24,  1758,  aged  II  years. 
Jane,  wife  of  Robert  Dunn,  d.  Nov.  6,  181  1,  aged  74  years.  Robert  Dunn, 
d.  Jan.  8,  1808,  aged  74  years.  Samuel  Dunn,  d.  Nov.  9,  1798,  aged  34 
years.  Polly,  dau.  of  Jesse  Dutton,  d.  Oct.  18,  1778,  aged  i  y.  gm.  5  days. 
Hannah,  wife  of  Jonathan  Emerson,  d.  Jan.  21,  1756,  aged  23  years. 
William,  son  of  Jonathan  Fletcher,  d.  Oct.  21,  1778,  aged  6  years  and  II 
months.  Francis,  son  of  Thomas  Fletcher,  d.  Apr.  9,  1773,  aged  i  year, 
4  months,  and  9  days.  Susanna,  dau.  of  Jonathan  Fletcher,  d.  Oct.  1  5, 
1778,  aged  2  years,  4  months,  and  9  days.  Susanna,  wife  of  Ebenezer 
French,  d.  Dec.  27,  1808,  aged  73  years.  Mary  D.,  dau.  of  John  French, 
d.  Feb.  14,  1817,  aged  4  years.  Adford  Jaquith,  d.  July  16,  1791,  aged 
82  years.  Margaret,  wife  of  Adford  Jaquith,  d.  Jan.  24,  1776,  aged  62 


1873]     INSCRIPTIONS  FROM  THE  TYNG  BURIAL-PLACE.      23! 

years.  Jane,  wife  of  Abraham  Kendall,  d.  Apr.  28,  1806,  aged  84  years. 
Susanna,  relict  of  Lieut.  John  Kendall,  d.  June  17,  1766,  aged  66  years. 
Mary,  relict  (or  daughter)  of  Isaac  Pike,  d.  Jan.  10,  1776,  aged  21  years 
and  10  months.  Lydia,  dau.  of  Benjamin  Pike,  d.  Dec.  17,  1754,  aged  i 
year,  5  months,  and  20  days.  Benjamin,  son  of  Benjamin  Pike,  d  Sept. 
i,  1757,  aged  7  months.  Leonard,  son  of  Eleazer  Read,  d.  Sept.  3,  1788, 
aged  i^year.  Betsy,  dau.  of  Eleazer  Read,  d.  May  8,  1789,  aged  8  years. 
Martha,  dau.  of  Timothy  Read,  d.  Jan.  20,  1758,  aged  16  years.  Rebeckah, 
dau.  of  Timothy  Read,  d.  Sept.  22,  1778,  aged  8  years.  James,  son  of 
Timothy  Read,  d.  Sept.  23,  1778,  aged  one  year.  Betsy,  wife  of  Lieut. 
Josiah  Stevens,  d.  July  28,  1800,  aged  27  years.  Mary,  dau.  of  Ama- 
ziah  Swallow,  d.  Nov.  7,  1798,  aged  20  years,  10  months,  and  7  days. 
Kendall,  son  of  Amaziah  Swallow,  d.  Oct.  25,  1778,  aged  4  years,  6  months, 
and  2  days.  Rebecca,  dau.  of  Amaziah  Swallow,  d.  Aug.  17,  1765,  aged 

1  year  and  8  months.     Deborah,  dau.  of  Amaziah  Swallow,  d.  Oct.  28, 
1778,  aged  4  years  and  n  months.    Rebecca,  dau.  of  Dr.  Ebenezer  Starr, 
d.  Nov.  i,  1778,  aged  17  months.     Jacob,  son  of  James  Taylor,  d.  March 
7,  1789,  aged  6  years.     Abigail,  dau.  of  James  Taylor,  d.  Sept.  30,  1778, 
aged  2  years.     William,  son  of  Dea.    Samuel  Taylor,  d.   May  6,   1771, 
aged  12  years.     Ruth,  dau.  of  Dea.  Samuel  Taylor,  d.  July  4,  1779.  aged 
6  weeks.     Edee,  dau.  of  Dea.   Samuel  Taylor,  d.  Jan.  9,   1789,  aged  4 
years.     William,  son  of  Dea.  Samuel  Taylor,  d.  Oct.    n,  1798,  aged  6 
years.      Edee,  dau.  of  Dea.   Samuel  Taylor,  d.  Sept.  28,  1798,  aged  9 
weeks.      Katharine,    wife    of   Benjamin    Woodward,    d.    Feb.    12,    1769. 
Eunice,  wife  of  Benjamin  Woodward,  d.  Sept.  25,  1778,  aged  39  years. 
Rachel,  dau.  of  Benjamin  Woodward,  d.  Sept.  9,  1778,  aged  2  years  and 

2  days.     Abel,  son  of  Benjamin  Woodward,  d.  Sept.   n,   1778,  aged  4 
years.     Benjamin,  son  of  Benjamin  Woodward,  d.  Sept.  14,  1778,  aged  7 
years,  1 1  months,  and  22  days.     Eunice,  dau.  of  Benjamin  Woodward,  d- 
Sept.  1 8,  1778,  aged  5  years  and  9  months. 

It  seems  that  by  some  disease,  not  recorded,  five  deaths 
occurred  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Woodward  in  less  than  three 
weeks. 

The  following  interesting  inscriptions  are  copied  from  tab- 
lets in  the  old  burial-place,  near  where  the  "  haunted  house " 
stood,  on  the  river  road,  about  one  mile  south  of  Tyngsborough 
Centre.  It  is  probably  the  first  locality  settled  in  Dunsta- 
ble:  — 

"  Here  lyeth  the  Body  of  Mr.  EDWARD  TING,  Esqr.,  aged  71  years. 
Died  December  27  Day  1681."  It  is  on  a  horizontal  slab  of  granite,  sup- 
ported by  a  pile  of  brick  and  stone. 


232  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 

"  Underneath  are  Entombed  the  Remains  of  Eleazer  Tyng,  Esq.,  who 
died  May  21,  1782,  aged  92  ;  Mrs.  Sarah  Tyng,  who  died  May  23,  I753> 
aged  59.  John  Alford  Tyng,  Esq.,  who  died  Sept.  4,  1775,  aged  44;  John 
Winslow,  Esq.,  who  died  Nov.  3,  1788,  aged  88  ;  Mrs.  Sarah  Winslow 
(the  last  surviving  child  of  the  said  Eleazer  Tyng  and  the  truly  liberal 
Benefactress  of  the  church  of  Christ  and  Grammar  School  in  this  place, 
in  honor  of  whose  name  and  family  it  is  called  Tyngsborough),  who  died 
Oct.  29,  1791,  aged  72. 

The  above  names  are  all  inscribed  on  the  face  of  a  large 
horizontal  slate-stone  slab,  at  the  head  of  which  rises  an 
ancient  Lombardy  poplar. 

This  cemetery,  consisting  of  an  area  of  about  one  acre,  is 
neatly  enclosed  and  contains  the  remains  of  the  Farwell,  Col- 
burn,  Drake,  and  other  families. 

The  following  inscriptions  from  the  old  burial-place  at 
Little's  Station  were  copied  by  Benjamin  French,  Esq.:  — 

Here  lies  the  Body  of  Mrs.  DEBORAH  KENDALL,  wife  of  Mr.  John 
Kendall,  who  died  March  ye  3d,  A.  D.  1739,  45  years  old. 

Dea.  THOMAS  COBURN  died  Nov.  2d,  1770,  in  the  8oth  year  of  his  age. 

Here  lyes  ye  Body  of  Ensign  JOSEPH  FARWELL,  Dec'd  December  ye 
31,  1722,  in  ye  82d  year  of  his  age. 

Here  lyes  Buried  the  Body  of  the  Hon.  JOSEPH  BLANCHARD,  Esq., 
who  departed  this  life  April  7th,  1758,  aged  55  years. 

Here  lyes  interred  ye  body  of  JOSIAH  WILLARD,  Captain  of  Fort  Dum- 
mer,  formerly  of  Lancaster,  Lunenburg,  and  Winchester,  and  Colonel  of 
Regiment  of  foot,  who  died  here  December  ye  8,  Anno  Domini,  1750,  in 
ye  58  year  of  his  age. 

Erected  to  the  memory  of  EBENEZER  STARR,  Physician,  who  died 
Sept.  7,  1798,  aged  52  years. 

Here  Lyes  Buried  the  Body  of  Mr.  EBENEZER  CUMINGS,  who  Deceased 
Sept.  y*  5th,  1724,  in  y°  2gth  year  of  his  age. 

Here  lies  Buried  the  Body  of  Deacon  JONATHAN  FRENCH  who  departed 
this  life  Nov.  17,  1757,  in  ye  54th  year  of  his  age. 

Erected  in  memory  of  Capt.  BENJAMIN  FRENCH  whose  remains  are  here 
interred,  who  departed  this  life  Dec.  15,  A.  D.  1779,  'n  ^e  74tn  }'ear  °f 
his  age. 

MEMENTO  MORI.  —  Here  lyes  the  body  of  Mr.  BENJAMIN -FRENCH, 
son  of  Capt.  Benjamin  French,  and  Molly,  his  wife.  He  departed  this  life 
Oct.  29,  1776,  in  the  23d  year  of  his  age. 

Here  lies  the  body  of  Mrs.  MARY  FRENCH,  wife  of  Capt.  Benjamin 
French,  who  departed  this  life  Dec.  17,  1774,  aged  44  years,  7  mos.  and 
8  days. 


1873]  INSCRIPTIONS  AT  LITTLE'S  STATION.  233 

Here  lies  the  body  of  Colonel  JOSEPH  FRENCH,  who  departed  this  life 
March  21,  1776,  in  the  63d  year  of  his  age. 

Here  lies  ye  body  of  Mrs.  ELIZABETH  FRENCH,  wife  of  Capt.  Joseph 
French,  who  deceased  Jan.  20,  A.  D.  1753,  in  the  44th  year  of  her  age. 

Here  lyes  the  body  of  Deacon  THOMAS  CUMINGS,  aged  64  years  and 
17  days,  Deceased  Jan.  20,  1722-3 

In  memory  of  ESTHER  LOVEWELL,  daughter  of  Col.  Noah  Lovewell, 
and  Mrs.  Mary,  his  wife,  Died  Oct.  y*  17,  1777,  aged  3  years  4  mos.  and 
8  days.  Her  brother  NOAH,  aged  5  mos.  and  25  days,  lies  buried  beside 
her. 

Here  lies  interred  the  Remains  of  Col.  ZACCHEUS  LOVEWELL,  who 
departed  this  life  April  12,  1772,  in  the  72  year  of  his  age. 

Erected  in  memory  of  Mrs.  HANNAH  STARR,  wife  of  Ebenezer  Starr, 
who  died  March  22,  1794,  aged  42. 

In  memory  of  REBECCA  STARR,  wife  of  Dr.  Ebenezer  Starr,  who  died 
Oct.  19,  1810,  in  the  45th  year  of  her  age. 

Erected  in  memory  of  the  Hon.  JONATHAN  BLANCHARD  whose  re- 
mains are  here  interred,  who  departed  this  life  July  y'  i6th,  1788,  aged  51, 
son  of  Hon.  Joseph  Blanchard,  Esq. 

Here. Lies  y'  Body  of  ISAAC  FRENCH,  y*  son  of  Capt.  Joseph  French 
and  Mrs.  Bridget  French,  his  wife,  who  Died  Aug.  y*  4th,  A.  D.  1753,  in 
y"  2oth  year  of  his  age. 

In  Memory  of  Maj.  JOHN  LUND,  who  died  March  nth,  1822,  Aet.  74. 
One  who  took  an  active  part  in  the  liberty  of  his  country  and  defended 
well  at  the  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 

HANNAH,  wife  of  Maj.  John  Lund,  died  May  4,  1847,  Aet.  96. 

In  Memory  of  JONATHAN  HARVARD,'  son  of  Jonathan  Harvard,  who 
died  May  27,  1802,  aged  5  years  and  7  months. 

Lie  still,  sweet  child,  and  take  your  rest, 
God  called  you  home  when  he  thought  best. 

Erected  in  Memory  of  Mrs.  CHARLOTTE  HARVARD,  wife  of  Mr.  Jona- 
than Harvard,  who  departed  this  life  July  nth,  1801,  in  the  28th  year  of 
her  age. 

Friends  and  physicians  could  not  save 

My  mortal  body  from  the  grave  ; 

Nor  can  this  grave  contain  me  here 

When  Jesus  calls  me  to  appear. 

Rev.  NATHANIEL  PRENTICE,  Born  December,  1698,  settled  as  the 
second  minister  in  Dunstable  1720.  Died  Feb.  25th,  1737,  Aet.  39. 

Here  lies  the  Body  of  Mrs.  ELIZABETH  WELD,  the  wife  of  Mr.  Thomas 
Weld,  aged  about  31  years,  who  died  on  July  the  2gth  in  the  year  1687. 

In  Memory  of  Col.  EBENEZER  BANCROFT,  who  died  Sept.  22,  1827, 
Aet.  90.  He  was  an  Officer  in  the  French  War  and  in  the  American 
Revolution,  and  was  in  the  battle  at  Bunker  Hill. 


234  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 

In  Memory  of  Mrs.  SUSANNAH,  wife  of  Col.  Ebenezer  Bancroft,  who 
died  Oct.  4,  1823,  Act.  80. 

Here  lies  the  Body  of  Lieut.  TIMOTHY  BANCROFT,  who  departed  this 
life  Nov.  2  ist,  1772,  in  the  63d  year  of  his  age. 

Here  lies  ye  Body  of  Mrs.  ELIZABETH  BANCROFT,  ye  wife  of  Lieut. 
Timothy  Bancroft,  who  Dec*.  Sept'.  23d,  A.  D.  1754,  in  ye  3Qth  year  of 
her  age. 

In  Memory  of  EBENEZER  BANCROFT,  Esq.,  who  died  May  6,  1858, 
Act.  80.  He  was  the  son  of  Col.  Ebenezer  and  Susanna  Bancroft.  He 
tilled  the  Farm  of  his  ancestors  through  life.  Industry,  economy,  and 
temperance  were  his  characteristic  habits,  ever  governed  by  justice  and 
rectitude.  The  admiration  of  men  he  never  sought,  but  at  home  all  affec- 
tion and  kindness.  Sweet  offices  of  love  and  duty  were  to  him  as  needful 
as  his  daily  bread. 

Here  lies  Buryed  y"  Body  of  Mr.  THOMAS  ADAMS,  who  departed  this 
life  February  y*  i8th,  A.  D.  1746,  in  y*  7ist  year  of  his  age. 

Here  lies  Buried  y*  Body  of  PHINEHAS  ADAMS,  y'  son  of  Mr.  Thomas 
and  Mrs.  Juda  Adams,  who  Dec'd  December  4,  1747,  Age  23  years,  7 
months,  and  28  days. 

Here  lyes  the  Body  of  Mrs.  RUTH  HILL,  the  wife  of  Enoch  Hill,  who 
departed  this  life  the  7th  of  February,  A.  D.  1747,  Aged  36. 

Here  lies  Buried  the  Body  of  Mrs.  JANE,  the  wife  of  Dea.  SAMUEL 
GRELEY,who  departed  this  life  June  I2th,  1762,  in  the  58  year  of  her  age. 

Here  lies  the  Body  of  Mrs.  BRIDGET  FRENCH,  the  wife  of  Capt.  Joseph 
French,  who  Departed  this  life  October  29,  1735,  m  the  2oth  year  of  her  age. 

In  Memory  of  Mrs.  HANNAH,  Wife  of  Ebenezer  Bancroft,  Esq.,  who 
died  Oct.  13,  1870,  aged  94  years,  i  mo.,  and  15  days. 

As  in  years,  so  in  duty,  she  excelled  :  long  made  home  glad. 

In  Memory  of  Dea.  JONATHAN  BANCROFT,  who  died  July  11,  1815,  in 
the  65th  year  of  his  age. 

Surviving  friends,  come  take  a  thought, 
How  soon  the  grave  must  be  your  lot ; 
Make  sure  of  Christ  while  life  remains, 
And  death  will  be  eternal  gain. 

Here  lies  TIMOTHY  BANCROFT,  Junr,  who  dep.  this  life  Aug.  12,  1754, 
in  y6  2ist  year  of  his  age. 

From  Death's  Arrest  no  age  is  Free, 
My  Friends,  Prepare  to  follow  me. 

This  Erected  by  E.  B.  in  1774. 

Capt.  MATTHEW  CHAMBERS,  an  officer  of  the  Revolution,  died  Jany. 
30,  1809,  &t.  73- 

Here  lies  Interred  the  Remains  of  Ensign  SAMUEL  HOWARD,  who 
Departed  this  life  February  7th,  1769,  Aged  84  years  and  10  months. 


INSCRIPTIONS  FROM  THE  SWALLOW  CEMETERY. 


235 


In  Memory  of  Mr.  OLIVER  LUND,  who  departed  this  life  March  i8th, 
1776,  aged  24  years. 

Erected  in  Memory  of  Mrs.  CATHERINAH  HOUSTON,  2d  Wife  of  Mr. 
Ovid  Houston,  who  departed  this  life  Nov.  17,  1778,  in  ye  45th  year  of 
her  age. 

Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord. 

Here  Lyes  the  Body  of  Mr.  ELEAZER  BLANCHARD,  who  departed  this 
life  the  igth  day  of  March,  1753,  in  the  22d  year  of  his  age. 

ELIZABETH  FARWELL,  Daughter  of  Mr.  Isaac  and  Sarah  Farwell, 
Dect  Novembr  ye  1st,  1727,  Aged  7  months  &  21  days. 

In  Memory  of  Dea.  BENJAMIN  SMITH,  who  died  March  29th,  1821,  in 
the  85th  year  of  his  age. 

In  Memory  of  Mrs.  JOHANNAH  SMITH,  Wife  of  Dea.  Benjamin  Smith, 
who  died  Aug.  2ist,  1814,  in  the  7ist  year  of  her  age. 

Sacred  to  the  Memory  of  Ensign  BENJAMIN  SMITH,  who  died  Aug.  16, 
1805,  in  the  4ist  year  of  his  age. 

A  husband  kind,  a  parent  dear, 
A  neighbor  just,  a  friend  sincere, 
Confess'd  by  all  with  him  acquainted, 
He  lived  beloved  and  died  lamented. 

REBECCA,  the  wife  of  Timothy  Presby,  died  Sept.  10,  1841,  ALt.  38. 

Husband,  why  drop  a  silent  tear, 

Oh,  wherefore  do  you  mourn  ? 
My  joys  are  great  beyond  degree, 

I  wish  not  to  return. 

In  Memory  of  Mrs.  CLARISA,  Wife  of  Mr.  Timothy  Presby,  who  died 
July  13,  1820,  /£t.  32. 

Farewell,  my  Partner,  child  so  dear, 
Weep  not  for  me,  dry  up  your  tears, 
And  when  the  last  loud  trump  shall  sound 
I  hope  in  Christ  we  shall  be  found. 

Names  of  some  persons  buried  in  the  cemetery  near  the 
house  of  Alpheus  Swallow,  Esq.  :  — 

Here  lies  the  body  of  Ensign  JOHN  SWALLOW,  who  departed  this  life 
Feb.  5,  1776,  aged  66  years,  5  mos.,  and  21  days. 

(He  was  the  great-grandfather  of  Alpheus  Swallow,  Esq.) 

Here  lies  the  body  of  Mrs.  SULANA  SPAULDING,  wife  of  Mr.  Abel 
Spaulding,  who  departed  this  life  Aug.  10,  1766,  aged  29  years,  7  mos., 
and  13  days. 

In  Memory  of  Mr.  ABEL  SPAULDING,  who  died  May  18,  1820,  ALt. 
84.  Also  Mrs.  LYDIA,  wife  of  Abel  Spaulding,  who  died  March  9,  1825, 
j£t.  79- 


236 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


The  following  inscriptions  from  the  Central  Cemetery,* 
Dunstable,  were  copied  for  this  work  by  Miss  Hannah  M.  Park- 
hurst  :  — 

ANN  ELIZA,  dau.  of  Calvin  and  Catharine  Read,  d.  Sept.  i,  1835,  aged 
2  yrs.,  7  mos.,  and  7  ds. 

Alas  !  how  changed  this  fair  flower, 

Which  bloomed  and  cheered  the  heart, 
Fair,  fleeting  comforts  of  an  hour, 
How  soon  we're  called  to  part  ! 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  RACHEL,  w.  of  Mr.  Eleazer  Read,  who  died  Feb. 
28,  1828,  aged  87. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  ELEAZER  READ,  who  died  Aug.  10,  1811,  aged  61. 
In  memory  of  Capt.  CALEB  READ,  who  died  Nov.  25,  1838,  aged  63. 

Calm  in  the  bosom  of  thy  God, 

Fair  spirit,  rest  thee  now. 
E'en  while  with  us  thy  footsteps  trod, 

His  seal  was  on  thy  brow. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  SARAH  READ,  w.  of  Mr.  Caleb  Read,  who  died 
May  14,  1805,  in  the  26  yr.  of  her  age. 

Behold,  my  children,  as  you  pass  by, 

As  you  are  now,  so  once  was  I, 
As  I  am  now,  so  you  must  be, 
Prepare  for  death  and  follow  me. 

BETSEY,  dau.  of  Capt.  Caleb  and  Mrs.  Caty  Read,  died  Oct.  19,  1826, 
aged  5  yrs.,  4  mos.,  and  9  ds. 

Sweet  child  no  more,  but  seraph  now, 
Before  the  throne  behold  her  bow  ; 
Her  soul,  enlarged  to  angel's  size, 
Joins  in  the  triumphs  of  the  skies. 

In  memory  of  MARK  READ,  s.  of  Mr.  Caleb  and  Mrs.  Sarah  Read, 
who  died  March  14,  1805,  aged  7  mos.  and  16  ds. 

Sleep  on,  sweet  babe,  and  take  thy  rest, 
God  called  thee  when  he  thought  it  best. 

In  memory  of  Miss  RACHEL  READ,  dau.  of  Mr.  Caleb  and  Mrs.  Sarah 
Read,  who  d.  March  27,  1818,  aged  17. 

In  memory  of  MARY,  w.  of  Lieut.  Zebulon  Blodgett,  died  June  27,  1839, 
aged  74. 

"  And  as  we  have  borne  the  image  of  the  earthy,  we  shall  also  bear  the  image 
of  the  heavenly." 

*  Years,  months,  and  days  are  expressed  by  yrs.,  mos.,  and  ds.  ;  wife,  daughter, 
son,  and  died,  by  w.,  dau.,  s.,  and  d.  When  the  same  stanza  of  poetry  is  inscribed 
on  several  head-stones,  it  is  here  printed  in  but  one  or  two  instances. 


1 8/3]  INSCRIPTIONS.     CENTRAL    CEMETERY.  237 

Erected  in  memory  of  Lieut.  ZEBULON  BLODGETT,  who  died  March  21, 
1813,  in  the  6ist  year  of  his  age. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  JOSIAH  W.  BLODGETT,  who  died  June  22,  1805,  in 
the  26th  year  of  his  age. 

In  memory  of  Widow  OLIVE  BLODGETT,  relict  of  Mr.  Josiah  Blodgett, 
who  died  May  2,  1813,  aged  74. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Mr.  JOSIAH  BLODGETT,  who  died  June  22, 
1805,  aged  67. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Mr.  JOSIAH  BLODGETT,  who  died  Feb,  9,  1792, 
in  the  84th  year  of  his  age. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  JEMIMA  BLODGETT,  relict  of  Mr.  Josiah  Blodgett, 
who  died  Nov.  24,  1810,  aged  91  yrs. 

Here  lies  buried  the  Body  of  Mrs.  HANNAH  KENDALL,  the  w.  of  Mr. 
Ebenezer  Kendall,  who  departed  this  life  Feb.  the  10,  1861,  in  the  45th 
year  of  her  Age,  with  JOSEPH  HASY  KENDALL,  her  son,  who  departed 
this  life  1760,  aged  4  mos. 

Here  lies  buried  the  body  of  Insign  EBENEZER  KENDALL,  who  departed 
this  Life  Decr.  20,  1774,  In  the  65th  yr.  of  his  age. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  EDWARD  KENDALL,  who  died  May  26,  1813,  aged 
78  years. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  SARAH  KENDALL,  w.  of  Mr.  Edward  Kendall,  who 
d.  16  Deer  1806,  aged  68  yrs. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  ANNA,  w.  of  Mr.  Samuel  Brown,  who  d.  Oct.  28, 
1794,  aged  26  yrs. 

"  Is  it  nothing  to  you  ?     Behold  and  see."     Samuel  1: 12. 

In  life  true  virtue  calls  forth  all  our  powers, 
Time  flies  and  ends,  eternity  is  ours. 

Erected  to  the  memory  of  Miss  MARY  WORCESTER,  who  d.  Nov.  9, 
1811,  in  the  64th  yr.  of  her  age. 

Friends  and  physicians  could  not  save 
My  mortal  body  from  the  grave  ; 
Nor  can  the  grave  confine  me  here 
When  Christ  shall  call  me  to  appear. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Capt.  SAMUEL  STEVENS,  who  d.  Dec.  ior 
1805,  aged  72  yrs.  • 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Mrs.  TABITHA  STEVENS,  widow  of  Capt. 
Samuel  Stevens,  who  d.  March  16,  1807,  aged  67  yrs. 

In  memory  of  a  son  and  daughter  of  Mr.  Isaac  Taylor,.  Junr.,  and  Mrs. 
Polly  his  w.  The  daughter  d.  March  4,  1811,  aged  30  hours,  the  son  d. 
March  24,  1811,  aged  20  ds. 

So  fades  each  lovely,  blooming  flower, 
Frail,  smiling  solace  of  an  hour  ; 
So  soon  our  transient  comforts  fly, 
And  pleasures  only  bloom  to  die. 


238  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 

In  memory  of  two  children  of  Mr.  Joel  Keyes  and  Mrs.  Polly  his  w. 
ANN,  d.  Aug.  24,  1810,  in  the  3d  yr.  of  her  age.  SOPHIA,  Aug.  26,  1810, 
in  the  5th  yr.  of  her  age. 

Sleep  on,  dear  children,  and  take  your  rest 
God  called  you  home,  He  thought  it  best. 

SOPHIA  KEYES,  d.  June  20,  1869,  aged  56  yrs.  and  9  mos. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Mrs.  POLLY,  w.  of  Mr.  Joel  Keyes,  who  d. 
Jan.  9,  1844,  aged  68. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Mrs.  MARY,  w.  of  Mr.  Joel  Keyes,  who  d. 
July  26,  1848,  aged  61. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Mr.  JOEL  KEYES,  who  d.  Dec.  15,  1858,  aged 
82. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  RHODA,  relict  of  Ens.  Samuel  Fletcher,  who  d. 
Feb.  13,  1824,  aged  54. 

A  soul  prepared  needs  no  delays, 
The  summons  comes,  the  saint  obeys, 
Swift  was  the  flight  and  short  the  road ; 
She  closed  her  eyes,  and  saw  her  God. 

In  memory  of  Ens.  SAMUEL  FLETCHER,  who  d.  April  10,  1813,  aged 
43- 

In  memory  of  Mr.  CHARLES  KENDALL,  who  d.  Jan.  5,  1836,  aged  38. 

"  For  as  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive." 

In  memory  of  ANDREW  TEMPLE,  s.  of  Mr.  Temple  and  Mrs.  Prudence 
Kendall,  who  d.  Dec.  21,  1818,  aged  5  mos. 

In  memory  of  Miss  ELIZABETH  KENDALL,  dau.  of  Lieut,  and  Mrs. 
Abigail  Kendall,  who  deceased  July  14,  1797,  in  the  38th  yr.  of  her  age. 
In  faith  she  dy'd,  in  dust  she  lies, 
But  faith  foresees  that  dust  shall  rise, 
When  Jesus  calls,  while  Hope  assumes 
And  boasts  her  joy  among  the  tombs. 

In  memory  of  JEREMIAH  KENDALL,  s.  of  Mr.  Temple  Kendall  and 
Abigail  his  wife,  who  d.  Nov.  6,  1778,  aged  4  yrs.,  2  mos.,  and  9  ds. 

In  memory  of  OLIVE  KENDALL,  dau.  of  Mr.  Temple  Kendall  and  Mrs. 
Abigail  his  w*  who  d.  Nov.  9,  1778,  aged  6  yrs.,  i  mo.,  and  9  ds. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Lieut.  TEMPLE  KENDALL,  who  d.  March  6, 
1822,  aged  90  yrs.,  and  of  ABIGAIL,  his  w.,  who  d.  Jan.  9,  1820,  aged  87. 
Here  all  is  rest  and  sweet  repose, 

Here  all  our  sorrows  cease, 
For  Jesus  meets  our  spirits  here, 
And  kindly  whispers  "  Peace." 

In  Memory  of  HANNAH  FARWELL  WOODS,  dau.  of  Mr.  Caleb  and  Mrs. 
Betty  Woods,  who  died  June  ye  ist,  1793,  aged  6  yrs.  9  mos.,  &  20  ds. 


18/3]  INSCRIPTIONS.      CENTRAL    CEMETERY.  239 

In  Memory  of  Mr.  CALEB  WOODS,  Jr.,  who  died  ist  Mar.,  1809,  In  the 
4ist  y  of  his  age. 

Friends,  physicians  could  not  save 
My  mortal  body  from  the  grave, 
Nor  can  the  grave  confine  it  here 
When  Christ  shall  call  me  to  appear. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  ABIGAIL,  relict  of  Mr.  Caleb  Woods,  Jr.,  who  d. 
Aug.  3,  1839,  aged  72. 

Reader,  slight  not  proffered  grace, 

Slight  not  a  Saviour's  blood, 
But  now,  while  mercy  waits, 

Prepare  to  meet  your  God. 

In  memory  of  Miss  REBECKAH,  dau.  'of  Mr.  Caleb  and  Mrs.  Abigail 
Woods,  who  d.  Sept.  3,  1826,  aged  18  years. 

Did  Christ  for  sinners  weep  ? 

And  shall  our  cheeks  be  dry  ? 
Let  floods  of  penitential  grief 

Burst  forth  from  every  eye. 

HANNAH  WOODS,  d.  Sept.  3,  1870,  aged  76  years. 

Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see  God. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  BETTY,  w.  of  Mr.   Caleb  Woods,  who  d.  Jan.  8, 
1837,  aged  90. 

In  Jesus  Christ  I  sought  for  rest, 

He  bade  me  cease  to  roam, 
And  fly  for  succour  to  his  breast, 
And  now  He  's  took  me  home. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  CALEB  WOODS,  who  d.  Aug.  13,  1822,  aged  85. 
Mr.  NOAH  WOODS,  d.  Oct.  16,  1829,  aged  52  yrs. 

Man  goeth  to  his  long  home,  and  the  mourners  go  about  the  streets. 

In  memory  of  HENRY  F.  WOODS,  s.  of  Mr.  Caleb  and  Mrs.  Betty 
Woods,  who  d.  8th  April,  1809,  in  the  25  yr.  of  his  age. 

Youth,  blooming  fair,  and  age  must  die, 

And  nature  will  decay, 
Their  souls  to  kindred  spirits  fly, 

And  hail  eternal  day. 

MART,  widow  of-Ebenezer  Proctor,  d.  Nov.  16,  1842,  aged  92. 
As  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  EBENEZER  PROCTOR,  who  d.  March  3, 1813,  aged  74. 
In  memory  of  Mrs.  SARAH  PROCTOR,  w.  of  Mr.  Ebenezer  Proctor,  who 
departed  this  life  Oct.  16,  1778,  aged  36  yrs.,  3  mos.,  &  16  ds. 


240 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


MEMF.NTO  MORI.  —  In  memory  of  Mr.  EBENEZER  PROCTOR,  who  de- 
parted this  Life  May  14,  1774,  in  ye  7sth  year  of  his  age. 

Behold  and  see,  all  that  pass  by, 
As  you  are  now  so  once  was  I  ; 
As  I  am  now  so  you  must  be, 
Prepare  for  death  and  follow  me. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  ELIZABETH,  w.  of  Mr.  Ebenezer  Proctor,  who  d. 
Jan.  12,  1799,  aged  70. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  JOHN  PROCTOR,  s.  of  Mr.  Ebenezer,  Sr.,  and  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  his  w.,  who  departed  this  life  Sept.  18,  1779,  in  the  —  year  of 
his  age. 

•    Frail  man  as  soon  as  born  decays, 

Like  flowers  that  quickly  fade, 
He  counts  a  few  and  thoughtless  days, 
Then  passes  like  the  shade. 

In  memory  of  GERSHOM  PROCTOR,  s.  of  Mr.  Gershom  Proctor  and 
Mrs.  Sarah  Proctor,  who  d.  Oct.  ye  14,  1783,  aged  i  mo.  &  5  days. 

In  memory  of  SARAH  PROCTOR,  w.  of  Mr.  Gershom  Proctor,  who  d. 
Feb.  ye  i6th,  1791,  in  the  34th  year  of  her  age. 

BETTY  PROCTOR,  dau.  of  Mr.  Gershom  Proctor  and  Mrs.  Sarah  his  w., 
d.  Feb.  1  6,  1791,  aged  12  hours. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  GERSHOM  PROCTOR,  who  d.  Dec.  17,  1813,  aged  61 
yrs.  % 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  MARY,  widow  of  Mr.  Gershom  Proctor,  who  d.  May 
22,  1827,  aged  67. 

Erected  in  memory  of  Mr.  AMOS  PROCTOR,  who  died  April  27,  1815, 
aged  21  yrs. 

Dry  up  your  tears,  surviving  friends, 
Mourn  not  for  me,  but  for  your  sins, 
Die  to  the  world,  live  unto  God 
The  grave  must  soon  be  your  abode. 

WM.  P.,  s.  of  Mr.  Wm.  and  Mrs.  Rhoda  Chandler,  d.  Oct.  5,  1819,  aged 
2  yrs.  and  9  mos. 

Here  lies  my  little  son  at  rest, 

God  called  him  when  He  thought  it  best 

SARAH  ANN  R.,  dau.  of  Ens.  Josiah  T.  and  Mrs.  Rebecca  (Turnings,  d. 
July  14,  1833,  aged  3  yrs.,  3  mos.,  and  25  ds. 

Mortal,  now  indulge  a  tear, 
See,  our  child  is  sleeping  here. 
Now  its  soul  in  Heaven  will  see 
What  was  veiled  in  mystery. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  SARAH  CUMINGS,  w.  of  Capt.  Josiah  Cumings, 
who  d.  Jany-  24,  1820,  aged  38. 


1 8/3]  INSCRIPTIONS.     CENTRAL   CEMETERY.  24! 

In  memory  of  JOSIAH  CUMMINGS,  Esq.,  who  d.  Sept.  12,  1834, aged  71 

yrs. 

He  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  JOSIAH,  w.  of  Josiah  Cummings,  Esq.,  who  d.  Nov. 
24,  1840,  aged  80. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  REBEKAH  CUMINGS,  w.  of  Mr.  Nathaniel  Cumings, 
who  d.  13th  Oct.  1808,  in  the  57  yr.  of  her  age. 

Farewell,  my  partner,  children  all, 
For  God,  my  Saviour,  does  me  call. 
Prepare  to  meet  on  Canaan's  shore, 
Where  parting  hours  are  known  no  more. 

In  memory  of   Mr.  NATHANIEL   CUMINGS,  who    d.  May  2i«t>    1812, 

aged  61  yrs. 

Farewell,  my  children,  near  and  dear, 
Weep  not  for  me,  nor  shed  a  tear, 
But  strive  the  better  part  to  obtain, 
And  then  to  die  will  be  your  gain. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  CATHARINE  CUMINGS,  relict  of  Mr.  Nathaniel 
Cumings,  who  d.  4  Nov.  1807,  in  the  81  yr.  of  her  age. 

Look  here,  my  friends,  turn  off  your  eyes 

From  earth  and  earthly  vanities, 

And  in  me  read  your  certain  fate 

T*  which  death  will  call  you  soon  or  late. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  ESTHER  CUMINGS,  relict  of  Maj.  Nathaniel  Cum- 
ings, who  d.  Nov.  23,  1816,  aged  49. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Maj.  NATHANIEL  CUMINGS,  who  d.  April  17, 
1813,  in  the  45th  yr.  of  his  age. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  SIBBEL  CUMINGS,  w.  of  Capt.  Oliver  Cumings,  who 
d  Dec.  16,  1812,  aged  78  yrs. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Capt.  OLIVER  CUMINGS,  who  d.  Aug.  15, 
1810,  aged  83  yrs. 

MEMENTO  MORI.  —  Erected  to  the  memory  of  the  widow  ELIZABETH 
TAYLOR,  who  departed  this  life  March  14,  1794,  in  the  93  yr.  of  her  age. 
By  age  our  body  wears  away, 

By  age  our  flesh  it  must  decay, 
Then  let  our  spirits  wing  away, 
To  see  an  everlasting  day. 

Here  lies  the  body  of  Mr.  JEREMIAH  CUMINGS,  who  departed  this  Life 
Oct  10,  1773.  aged  45  yrs.,  9  mos.,  and  3  ds. 

In  memory  of  Miss  BETSEY,  dau.  of  Lieut.  Jonathan  and  Mrs.  Mary 
Emerson,  who  d.  July  31,  1834,  aged  48  yrs. 

In  memory  of  Lieut.  JONATHAN  EMERSON,  who  d.  Oct.  10,  1785,  aged 
41  yrs. 

16 


242  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTAB1E.  [1873 

MARY  ANN,  dau.  of  Henry  and  Olive  Woods,  d.  Oct.  12,  1853,  aged 
20  yrs.  and  7  mos. 

Thy  memory,  thou  loved  one,  how  sweet  and  how  dear  ! 
Thy  virtue  shall  live  though  thy  dust  slumbers  here. 
Till  the  last  fleeting  sun  o'er  my  lone  heart  shall  roll 
Shall  I  cherish  thy  worth,  thou  sweet  friend  of  my  soul. 

CHARLES  J.,  s.  of  Mr.  Henry  and  Mrs.  Jerusha  Woods,  d.  June  14, 
1826,  aged  1 6  ds. 

This  lovely  bud,  so  young  and  fair, 

Called  hence  by  early  doom, 
Just  came  to  show  how  sweet  a  flower 
In  Paradise  could  bloom. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  JERUSHA,  w.  of  Mr.  Henry  Woods,  who  d.  March 
23,  1827,  aged  27. 

No  age  from  death  can  fly, 

No  friends  but  what  must  part ; 

Death  will  dissolve  the  tenderest  tie 

That 's  formed  within  the  heart. 

In  memory  of  HENRY  WOODS,  who  d.  Nov.  2,  1833,  aged  43. 
Retire,  my  friends,  dry  up  your  tears, 
I  shall  arise  when  Christ  appears  ; 
Death  is  the  debt  to  mortals  due, 
I  've  paid  the  debt,  and  so  must  you. 

SARAH  M.,  w.  of  Oliver  Taylor,  deceased  March  31, 1872,  age  57  yrs. 
The  cloud  that  o'er  her  brow  was  spread 
When  here  below,  afar  has  fled, 
The  joys  of  heaven  have  put  to  flight 
The  shade  that  veiled  her  spirit's  light. 

MARY  ANN,  dau.  of  Cyrus  W.  and  M.  M.  Taylor,  d.  July  22,  1853,  aged 
7  wks.  and  5  ds. 

Our  bud,  nipped  by  the  chill  blast  of  the  Destroyer,  is  destined  to  blossom  in 
fairer  climes. 

MATILDA  J.,  dau.  of  Cyrus  W.  and  M.  M.  Taylor,  d.  March  26,  1831, 
aged  i  yr.  and  9  mos. 

Is  it  well  with  the  child  ?  and  she  answered,  It  is  well. 

CAROLINE  M.,  dau.  of  Cyrus  W.  and  M.  M.  Taylor,  d.  March  30,  1848, 

aged  4  days. 

Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

HARRIET  P.,  dau.  of  Cyrus  W.  and  M.  M.  Taylor,  d.  May  23,  1845, 
aged  4  yrs.,  8  mos.,  and  24  ds. 

Harriet,  my  dear,  I  '11  dry  my  tears, 

And  put  my  trust  in  God, 
Convinced  it  is  a  Father's  smite, 
And  love  that  guides  the  rod. 


l873]  INSCRIPTIONS.     CENTRAL   CEMETERY.  243 

BRIDGET,  dau.  of  Cyrus  and  R.  B.  Taylor,  d.  July  3,  1844,  aged  27. 
There  shall  I  bathe  my  weary  soul 
In  seas  of  heavenly  rest. 

RHODA,  dau.  of  Cyrus  and  R.  B.  Taylor,  d.  Nov.  12,  1844,  aet.  34. 

All  is  well. 

JOSIAH,  s.  of  Cyrus  and  R.  B.  Taylor,  d.  Oct.  13,  1825,  aet.  2  yrs.,  and 
n  mos. 

Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto  me. 

RHODA  B.,  w.  of  Cyrus  Taylor,  d.  March  12,  1862,  set  78  yrs. 
Dear  mother  thou  hast  gone  to  thy  rest, 

We  miss  thee,  oh  !  we  miss  thee  at  home. 
Thou  has  left  us  to  join  with  the  blest, 

Our  dear  father  in  his  heavenly  song. 

CYRUS  TAYLOR,  d.  April  4,  1859,  aet.  74  ys. 

My  flesh  and  my  heart  faileth,  but  God  is  the  strength  of  my  heart,  and  my 
portion  forever. 

In  memory  of  WM.  RICHARDSON  TAYLOR,  s.  of  Oliver  and  Abigail 
Taylor,  who  d.  March  28,  1797,  aged  9  mos.  and  15  ds. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  ABIGAIL  RICHARDSON,  dau.  of  Mr.  Thomas  and 
Mrs.  Abigail  Richardson,  who  d.  Sept.  9,  1796,  in  the  22d  yr.  of  her  age. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  SUSANNA  TAYLOR,  dau.  of  Mr.  Oliver  and  Mrs. 
Bridget  Taylor,  who  departed  this  life  Aug.  18,  1801,  in  the  27th  year  of 
her  age. 

REBEKAH  TAYLOR,  d.  Dec.  29,  1856,  aged  78  yrs.  and  10  mos. 

Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  ABIGAIL,  w.  of  Mr.  Oliver  Taylor,  who  d.  Jan.  19, 
1839,  aged  75. 

As  Jesus  died  and  rose  again, 

Victorious  o'er  the  dead, 
So  his  disciples  rise  again 
With  their  triumphant  Head. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  BRIDGET  TAYLOR,  w.  of  Mr.  Oliver  Taylor,  who 
d.  Jan.  15,  1794,  aged  47  yrs.  and  4  ds. 

She  lived  desired  and  died  lamented. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  OLIVER  TAYLOR,  who  d.  Oct.  13,  1823,  aged  77. 

Our  aged  friend  now  sleeps  in  dust, 
No  pain  disturbs  his  peaceful  breast ; 
The  Saviour's  call  he  did  obey, 
And  suddenly  was  snatched  away. 


244  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l8/3 

In  memory  of  Widow  SUSANNAH,  relict  of  Dea.  Samuel  Taylor,  who  d. 
Oct.  14,  1798,  aged  85  yrs 

In  memory  of  Dea.  SAMUEL  TAYLOR,  who  d.  Oct.  ye  23d,  1792,  in  the 
85  yr.  of  his  age. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  MARY  TAYLOR,  w.  of  Mr.  Jonas  Taylor,  who  d. 
Dec.  5,  1815,  aged  68  yrs. 

Erected  in  memory  of  Mr.  JONAS  TAYLOR,  who  d.  Dec.  15,  1823,  aged 
84  yrs. 

In  memory  of  HANNAH  TAYLOR,  dau.  of  Mr.  Jonas  Taylor  and  Mrs. 
Hannah  his  w.,  who  d.  Sept.  24,  1798,  aged  I  yr.,  9  mos.,  and  4  ds. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  THOMAS  FLETCHER,  who  departed  this  life  Dec.  22, 
1802,  in  the  64  yr.  of  his  age. 

In  memory  of  Miss  REBECKAH,  dau.  of  Mr.  Thomas  Fletcher,  who  d. 
Feb.  5,  1831,  aged  51. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  RACHEL  FLETCHER,  w.  of  Mr.  Thomas  Fletcher, 
who  d.  Oct.  10,  1810,  in  the  69  yr.  of  her  age. 

Not  dead,  but  gone  before. 

Lieut.  FRANCIS  FLETCHER,  d.  July  28,  1873,  aged  84  yrs.,  n  mos. 
In  memory  of  Mrs.   HANNAH,  w.  of  Lieut.  Francis  Fletcher,  who  d. 
Apr.  ii,  1823,  in  the  27th  yr.  of  her  age. 

Loveliness  lies  here,  the  tender  wife,  the  mother  dear, 
Though  disease  her  body  wore, 
Grace  taught  her  soul  to  soar. 

No  pain  nor  grief,  no  anxious  fear  nor  mortal  woes, 
Can  reach  thy  peaceful  slumber  here, 
While  angels  watch  thy  soft  repose. 

Take  comfort,  Christian,  when  your  friends  in  Jesus  fall' asleep, 
Their  better  being  never  ends,  then  why  dejected  weep  ? 
Why  inconsolable,  as  those  to  whom  no  hope  is  given  ? 
Death  is  the  messenger  of  peace  to  call  their  souls  to  heaven. 

RACHEL,  dau.  of  Lieut.  Francis  Fletcher  and  Mrs.  Hannah  F.  his  w. 
d.  Nov.  4,  1822,  aged  20  mos.  and  14  ds. 

Sweet  prattler,  gently  sleep, 
Till  Jesus  bid  thee  rise. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Capt.  NATHANIEL  FLETCHER,  d.  April  18, 
1839,  in  the  77  yr.  of  his  age. 

When  death  doth  call  us  we  must  go, 
Whether  we  are  prepared  or  no  ; 
Life  is  the  space  which  God  has  given 
To  be  prepared  to  meet  in  heaven. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  SUBMIT,  w.  of  Capt.  Nathaniel  Fletcher,  who  d. 
Oct.  1 6,  1835,  aged  69  yrs. 

Canst  thou  by  faith  survey  with  joy 

The  change  before  it  come, 
And  say,  "  Let  death  this  house  destroy, 
I  have  a  heavenly  home  ?  " 


1873]  INSCRIPTIONS.     CENTRAL   CEMETERY.  245 

In  memory  of  HANNAH  P.,  dau.  of  Lieut.  Francis  and  Hannah  Fletcher, 
who  d.  Oct.  15,  1842,  in  the  24th  yr.  of  her  age. 

She  's  gone,  the  lovely  and  the  loved, 

No  tears  or  prayers  her  life  will  save, 
From  scenes  of  earth  her  soul  hath  fled 

To  rest  in  peace  beyond  the  grave. 
There  every  tear  is  wiped  away, 

And  there  is  healed  the  stricken  heart, 
There  pain  and  death  can  never  come, 

And  there  friends  meet  no  more  to  part 

In  memory  of  Rev.  JOSHUA  HEYWOOD,  who  d.  Nov.  11,  1814,  aged  51 
yrs. 

Nor  pain  nor  grief  nor  anxious  fear 

Invade  thy  bounds  ;  no  mortal  woes 
Can  reach  the  peaceful  sleeper  here 
While  angels  watch  the  soft  repose. 

SAMUEL  H.,  s.  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  H.  Tolman  and  Rachel  his  w.,  d, 
Sept.  29,  1822,  aged  9  weeks. 
EPHRAIM  JOHNSON,  d.  March  24,  1863,  aged  72  yrs. 
In  memory  of  Mrs.  REBECKAH  JOHNSON,  relict  of  Mr.  Silas  Johnson, 
who  d.  Oct.  19,  1823,  aged  69  yrs. 

A  heavenly  portal  is  in  view, 
Amid  a  dying  hour, 
For  those  who  view  that  God  is  love 
And  heaven  is  a  rest  above. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  ALPHEUS  TAYLOR,  who  d.  at  Nashua  July  25, 

1846,  aged  28  yrs. 

We  have  loved  thee  on  earth, 
May  we  meet  thee  in  heaven. 

SAMUEL  S.,  s.  of  Mr.  Samuel  W.  and  Mrs.  Eveline  Stone,  d.  Feb.  12, 
1828,  aged  4  yrs. 

Rest,  happy  orphan,  peaceful  rest, 

Secure  from  sin,  secure  from  harms. 
Thy  Saviour  little  children  blest ; 
Resigned  we  leave  thee  in  his  arms. 

In  memory  of  SALLY  FLETCHER,  dau.  of  Mr.  Phineas  and  Mrs.  Alice 
Fletcher,  who  d.  Nov.  5,  1798,  aged  2  days. 

In  memory  of  SEWALL  FLETCHER,  s,  of  Mr.  Phineas  and  Mrs.  Anna 
Fletcher,  who  d.  May  29,  1795,  in  the  g^  yr.  of  his  age. 

In  memory  of  CHARLOTTE  FLETCHER,  dau.  of  Mr.  Phineas  and  Mrs. 
Anna  Fletcher  his  w.,  who  d.  Nov.  16,  1789,  aged  15  mos. 

MEMENTO  MORI.  —  Erected  in  memory  of  Mfs.  ANNA  FLETCHER,  w. 
of  Mr.  Phinehas  Fletcher,  who  departed  this  life  Oct.  ye  4,  1794,  in  the 
32<1  yr.  of  her  age. 


246  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l8/3 

Mr.  PHINEHAS  FLETCHER,  d.  July  31,  1833,  aet.  75. 

Oh,  may  my  humble  spirit  stand 

Amongst  them  clothed  in  white. 
The  meanest  place  at  his  right  hand 

Is  infinite  delight. 

ALICE,  w.  of  Phinehas  Fletcher,  d.  May  17,  1851,  aged  88. 
Blessed  are  the  dead  that  die  in  the  Lord. 

LUCY,  dau.  of  Phinehas  and  Alice  Fletcher,  d.  Apr.  5,  1871,  aged  69 
yrs.  and  7  mos. 

In  memory  of  Dea.  JOSEPH  FLETCHER,  who  departed  this  life  July  y« 
17th,  A.  D.  1784,  aged  71  yrs. 

Retire,  my  friends,  dry  up  your  tears. 
Here  I  must  lie  till  Christ  appears. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.   ELIZABETH   FLETCHER,  relict  of  Dea.   Joseph 
Fletcher,  who  departed  this  life  Nov.  22,  1802,  in  the  89th  yr.  of  her  age. 
In  memory  of  Capt.  JONATHAN  FLETCHER,  who  d.  March  28,  1813, 
aged  72. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  LUCY  FLETCHER,  w.  of  Capt.  Jonathan  Fletcher, 
who  departed  this  life  July  17,  1801,  in  the  6ist  yr.  of  her  age. 

In  memory  of  POLLY  C.  LovEjOY,.dau.  of  Mr.  Daniel  and  Mrs.  Polly 
Lovejoy,  who  d.  March  i,  1797,  in  the  2d  yr.  of  her  age. 

In  memory  of  LUCINDA  FLETCHER,  dau.  of  Mr.  Joseph  Fletcher  and 
Mrs.  Caty,  his  wife,  who  d.  Dec.  4,  1796,  aged  i  yr.  and  21  ds. 

Erected  in  memory  of  CATHARINE  FLETCHER,  who  d.  Sept.  30,  1826, 
aged  34. 

There  is  a  calm  for  those  who  weep; 
And  while  the  mouldering  ashes  sleep 

Low  in  the  ground, 
The  soul,  of  origin  divine, 

God's  glorious  image  freed  from  clay, 
In  heaven's  eternal  sphere  shall  shine, 
A  star  of  day. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  CATY  FLETCHER,  w.  of  Mr.  Joseph  Fletcher,  who 
d.  Feb.  7,  1797,  aged  42. 

Peace  to  those  friends,  those  hearts,  that  weep, 

My  dearest  dear  is  not  dead  but  sleeps. 

Where  angels  minister  around  the  throne, 

Her  spotless,  unembodied  soul  has  flown, 

There  joining  in  the  celestial  strain, 

In  praising  him  who  was,  and  is,  and  shall  forever  reign. 

In  memory  of  JOSEPH  FLETCHER,  who  died  Dec.  26,  1832,  aged  81. 


1 8/3]  INSCRIPTIONS.     CENTRAL    CEMETERY.  247 

In  memory  of  ABIGAIL,  w.  of  Joseph  Fletcher,  who  d.  Dec.  5,  1838, 

aged  81. 

Here,  reader,  see  in  youth  or  age  or  prime, 
The  fleeting  steps  of  never-standing  time, 
With  wisdom  mark  the  moment  as  it  flies, 
Think  what  a  moment  is  to  them  who  dies. 

In  memory  of  BETSY  TAYLOR,  dau.  of  James  and  Betsy  Taylor,  who  d. 
April  20,  1801.,  aged  9  mos.  and  24  ds. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  BETSY  TAYLOR,  w.  of  Dea.  James  Taylor,  who  d. 
Oct.  i,  1808,  in  the  4ist  yr.  of  her  age. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  ABIGAIL,  w.  of  Dea.  James  Taylor,  who  d.  March 
7,  1832,  aged  6r. 

Be  ye  also  ready,  for  in  such  an  hour  as  ye  think  not,  the  Son  of  man  cometh. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  LEONARD  PARKHURST,  who  died  March  28,  1821, 
aged  57. 

Farewell,  dear  friends,  and  children  too, 

For  Christ  has  called  me  home. 
In  a  short  time  he  '11  call  for  you, 
Prepare  yourselves  to  come. 

HANNAH,  w.  of  Leonard  Parkhurst,  d.  Aug.  30,  1862,  aged  93  yrs.  and 
4  mos. 

For  as  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive. 

SALLY  PARKHURST,  died  Oct.  8,  1847,  aged  45. 

By  death  the  form  to  earth  is  given, 

And  the  fettered  soul  made  free 
To  change  its  home  from  earth  to  heaven, 

And  live  in  immortality. 

In  memory  of  Dea.  JAMES  TAYLOR,  who  d.  Oct.  25,  1847,  aged  80* 
Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord. 

In  memory  of  JOEL  PARKHURST,  Esq.,  who  d.  March  10,  1808,  aged  67. 

Ah  !  with  the  slumbering  dead  he  is  numbered, 

Behold,  he  sleeps  in  lifeless  clay, 
His  soul,  no  more  with  dust  encumbered, 
.  Triumphs  in  realms  of  endless  day. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  BETTY  PARKHURST,  w.  of  Joel  Parkhurst,  Esq., 
who  d.  Oct.  4,  1837,  aged  93. 

Let  .us  be  weaned  from  all  below, 

Let  hope  our  grief  expel, 
While  death  invites  our  souls  to  go 

Where  our  best  kindred  dwell* 


248 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


Mrs.  LUCINDA,  w.  of  Ebenezer  Parkhurst,  d.  Apr.  14,  1842,  aged  47  yrs. 
Can'st  thou  by  faith  survey  with  joy 

The  change  before  it  comes, 
And  say,  "  Let  death  this  house  destroy, 

I  have  a  heavenly  home  "  ? 

EBENEZER  PARKHURST,  d.  May  23,  1868,  aged  80  yrs.,  3  mos. 

Gone  to  rest. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  SALLY,  w.  of  Mr.  Ebenezer  Parkhurst,  wh«  d.  Sept 
15,  1827,  aged  31. 

Sudden  she  was  called  to  go, 

And  bid  adieu  to  all  below  ; 

Sudden  the  vital  spirit  fled, 

And  she  was  numbered  with  the  dead. 

HANNAH,  w.  of  Ebenezer  Parkhurst,  d.  May  5,  1857,  aged  86  yrs.  and 
9  mos. 

She  soars  above  in  heaven  to  sing, 
Borne  away  on  angels'  wings. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  ELIZABETH  PARKHURST,  w.  of  Mr.  Ebenr  Park- 
hurst, who  d.  Oct.  8,  1  80  1,  aged  38  yrs. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  EBENEZER  PARKHURST,  who  d.  Oct.  19,  1831,  aged 
70  yrs. 

Depart,  my  friends,  dry  up  your  tears, 
Here  I  must  lie  till  Christ  appears. 

MARGETTE,  dau  of  Ebem  and  Lucinda  Parkhurst,  d.  Dec.  15,  1831, 
aged  i  yr.,  3  mos.,  &  16  ds. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Mrs.  CATY  PARKHURST,  w.  of  Mr.  Joseph 
Parkhurst,  who  d.  Sept.  21,  1798,  aged  41. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Mr.  JOSEPH  PARKHURST,  who  d.  May  7,  1813, 
aged  57  years. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Miss  FANNY  PARKHURST,  who  d.  Dec.  14, 
1816,  aged  30. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  JOSEPH,  s.  of  Mr.  Silas  and  Mrs.  Lucy  Parkhurst, 
who  d.  Feb.  2,  1833,  aged  19  yrs. 

In  memory  of  Miss  SALLY  CUMINGS,  dau.  of  Lieut.  Simeon  and  Mrs. 
Sarah  Cumings,  who  d.  Feb.  29,  1816,  aged  45  years. 
Sickness  sore  long  time  I  bore, 

Physicians  were  in  vain, 
Till  God  was  pleased  and  death  did  seize 
And  eased  me  of  my  pain. 

In  memory  of  JEREMIAH  CUMINGS,  the  s.  of  Lieut.  Simeon  and  Mrs. 
Sarah  Cumings,  who  d.  Sept.  27,  1792,  aged  2  yrs.,  I  mo.,  &  I  dy. 

Here  lies  the  Body  of  JEREMIAH,  the  s.  of  Mr.  Simeon  Cumings  and 
Mrs.  Sarah  his  w.,  who  d.  Jan.  8,  1776,  aged  7  yrs,,  i  mo.,  &  16  ds. 


l873]  INSCRIPTIONS.     CENTRAL   CEMETERY.  249 

In  memory  of  RACHEL  CUMINGS,  dau  of  Mr.  Simeon  Cumings  and 
Mrs  Sarah  his  w.,  who  d.  Oct.  n,  1778,  aged  3  yrs. 

In  memory  of  ELIZABETH  CUMINGS,  dau.  of  Mr.  Simeon  Cumings 
and  Mrs.  Sarah  his  w.,  who  d.  Oct.  22,  1778,  aged  5  yrs.,  3  mos., 
&  16  ds. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  SARAH  CUMINGS,  w.  of  Lieut.  Simeon  Cumings, 
who  d.  Nov.  17,  1815,  aged  69. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Lieut.  SIMEON  CUMINGS,  who  d.  March  23, 
1817,  aged  73. 

Farewell,  my  friends  and  children  dear, 
Weep  not  for  me  nor  shed  a  tear, 
But  strive  the  better  part  to  obtain, 
And  then  to  die  will  be  your  gain. 

MEMENTO  MORI.  —  Here  lies  Buried  the  Body  of  CHARLES  SCOTT, 
firstborn  s.  of  Mr.  Lemuel  Scott  and  Mrs.  Mary  his  w.,  who  departed  this 
Life  Apr.  10,  1777,  aged  3  yrs.,  i  mo.  &  16  dys. 

In  memory  of  LUCY  FARMER,  dau.  of  Mr.  John  Farmer  and  Mrs.  Molly 
his  w.,  who  d.  Dec.  ist,  1778,  aged  2  yrs.,  3  mos.,  and  22  dys.  [This 
may  be  Turner.] 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  LUCY,  w.  of  Mr.  Isaac  Taylor,  who  d.  Feb.  5,  1832, 
in  her  77  yr. 

In  memory  of  LYDIA  TAYLOR,  dau.  of  Mr.  Isaac  &  Mrs.  Sarah  Taylor, 
who  d.  Aug  22,  1791,  aged  2  yrs.  &  6  mos. 

In  memory  of  RACHEL  TAYLOR,  dau.  of  Mr.  Isaac  and  Mrs.  Sarah 
Taylor,  who  d.  Nov.  12,  1803,  aged  12  yrs. 

In  memory  of  Miss  DEBORAH  TAYLOR,  dau.  of  Mr.  Isaac  and  Mrs. 
Sarah  Taylor,  who  d.  July  8,  1805,  aged  22  yrs. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  SARAH  TAYLOR,  w.  of  Mr.  Isaac  Taylor,  who  d. 
March  10,  1813,  aged  59. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  EASTHF.R  WOODWARD,  w.  of  Mr.  John  Woodward, 
who  d.  Jany-  26,  1797,  aged  32  yrs. 

On  this  day  she  was  born, 

On  this  day  she  was  marred, 
On  this  day  she  deceast, 

Not  many  hours  vared. 

Mrs.  MARY  WOODWARD,  who  d.  May  19,  1805,  aged  38  yrs.,  5  mos., 
and  7  ds.,  w.  of  Mr.  John  Woodward. 

DEATH. 

The  tender  bands  that  wedlock  ties, 

By  thee  alas  !  must  break, 
Most  kind  and  loving  partners  thou 

Dost  from  each  other  take. 


250  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [^873 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  POLLY  WOODWARD,  w.  of  Mr.  John  Woodward, 
who  d.  Sept.  12,  1822,  aged  46. 

Farewell,  dear  partner,  children  all, 
For  I  must  go,  my  Jesus  calls, 
Happy  forever  shall  I  be, 
I  died  for  him  who  died  for  me. 

ANDREW  SAWTELL,  s.  of  Mr.  John  and  Mrs.  Rebekah  Woodward,  d. 
March  II,  1826,  aged  I7mos.  and  18  ds. 

His  course  is  run,  his  spirit 's  fled, 
He  joins  the  mansions  of  the  dead, 
He  now  lies  cold,  but  still  his  soul 
Will  live  till  ages  cease  to  roll. 

In  memory  of  MARY  P.  WOODWARD,  who  died  July  ist,  1813,  aged  12 

yrs. 

Youth,  blooming  fair,  and  age  must  die, 
And  turn  to  dust  as  well  as  I. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  JOSEPH  PARKHURST,  who  d.  Jany-  30, 1803,  aged  78. 
Also  of  Mrs.  DEBORAH,  w.  of  Mr.  Joseph  Parkhurst,  who  d.  March  25, 
1819,  aged  76. 

In  memory  of  EDMUND,  s.  of  Mr.  Silas  and  Mrs.  Lucy  Parkhurst,  who 
d.  Apr.  1 8,  1813,  aged  2  yrs.,  3  mos.,  and  23  ds. 
Happy  infant,  early  blest, 
And  in  peaceful  slumber  rest. 

JOHN  CHANEYd.  in  Dunstable,  Feb.  23,  1831,  aged  92.     He  has  left  a 
large  circle  of  relatives  and  friends  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  instruction 
and  example.   ELIZABETH,  his  w.,  d.  in  Charlestown,  June  6,  1826,  aged  66. 
Living  here,  tender,  faithful,  good,  and  wise, 
Dying  her  home  's  eternal  in  the  skies. 

ERECTED  BY  THEIR   DAUGHTERS. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  ELIZABETH  KENDALL,  w.  of  Mr.  Jacob  Kendall, 
who  d.  3  March,  1804,  in  the  7ist  yr.  of  her  age. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  JACOB  KENDALL,  who  died  Feb.  25,  1809,  in  the 
8oth  yr.  of  his  age. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  JOHN  WOODWARD,  who  d.  Feb.  14, 1835,  aged  67. 
Here  all  is  rest  and  sweet  repose, 

Here  all  our  sorrows  cease, 

For  Jesus  meets  our  spirits  here 

And  kindly  whispers  peace. 

Miss  SALLY,  dau.  of  Mr.  John  and  Mrs.  Mary  Woodward,  d.  Sept.  7, 
1827,  aged  22. 

In  bloom  of  life  one  moment  stood, 
The  next  called  to  the  bar  of  God. 
Think,  reader,  can  thy  heart  endure 
A  summons  to  a  bar  so  pure  ? 


1  8/3] 


INSCRIPTIONS.     CENTRAL    CEMETERY. 


REBECCA,  widow  of  the  late  John  Woodward,  d.  Oct.  19,  1868,  aged  74 

yrs.  and  10  mos. 

With  us  her  name  shall  live 

Through  long  succeeding  years, 
Embalmed  with  all  our  hearts  can  give, 

Our  praises  and  our  tears. 

ANDREW  JACKSON,  s.  of  John  and  Rebecca  Woodward,  died  Sept.  4, 
1836,  aged  4  yrs.  and  7  mos. 

Farewell,  my  little  son,  farewell  ! 
With  me  thou  could  no  longer  dwell. 
I  hope  with  thee  ere  long  to  tell 
That  Jesus  hath  done  all  things  well. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  THOMAS  MARSHALL,  who  d.  Nov.  16,  1811,  aged  30. 
In  memory  of  Mrs.  POLLY  MARSHALL,  who  d.  Feb.  5,  1811,  aged  30. 
In  memory  of  Mrs.  MARY  MARSHALL,  dau.  of  Mr.  Silas  Marshall  and 
Mrs.  Eunice,  his  w.,  who  d.  Sept.  3,  1793,  in  ye    2ist  yr.  of  her  age. 

In  memory  of  HANNAH  KENDALL,  relict  of  John  Kendall,  who  d.  April 
30,  1812,  in  the  84th  yr.  of  her  age. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  JOHN  KENDALL,  who  d.  13th  of  Feb.  1809,  aged  85 
yrs.,  9  mos.  and  8  ds. 

Mrs.  MARTHA,  w.  of  Mr.  Nathan  Proctor,  killed  by  falling  into  a  cellar 
Dec.  8,  1824,  aged  20  yrs.  and  6  mos. 

In  bloom  of  life  one  moment  stood, 
The  next  called  to  the  bar  of  God. 
Think,  reader,  can  thy  heart  endure 
A  summons  to  a  bar  so  pure  ? 

ISAAC  KENDALL,  2nd  son  of  Mr.  Zebedee  and  Mrs.  Molly  Kendall,  d. 
I4'h  Nov.  1804,  aged  5  yrs.,  3  mos.,  and  i  day. 

ISAAC  KENDALL,  s.  of  Dea.  Zebedee  and  Mrs.  Molly  Kendall,  d.  Sept. 
12,  1798,  aged  2  yrs.,  9  mos.,  and  16  ds. 

In  memory  of  two  children  of  Dea.  Zebedee  and  Mrs.  Molly  Kendall, 
ABRAHAM,  d.  Jan.  14,  1786,  aged  2  yrs.  and  12  ds.;  HANNAH,  d.  March 
24,  1795,  aged  14  mos.  and  25  ds. 

SARAH  KENDALL,  dau.  of  Dea.  Zebedee  and  Mrs.  Molly  Kendall,  d. 
10  Sept.  1798,  aged  7  mos.  and  15  ds. 

An  infant  son  of  Mr.  Timothy  and  Mrs.  Mary  Kendall,  d.  Dec.  I,  1825, 
aged  3  weeks. 

TIMOTHY  A.,  s.  of  Mr.  Timothy  and  Mrs.  Mary  Kendall,  d.  Feb.  26, 
1828,  aged  15  mos.  and  25  ds. 

HANNAH  A.,  dau.  of  Timothy  and  Mary  Kendall,  d.  Nov.  7,  1832,  aged 
2  yrs.,  3  mos.,  and  15  ds. 

Loved  one,  where  is  now  thy  rest  ? 
Sweetly  on  thy  Saviour's  breast 
Dost  thou  now  thy  bliss  begin, 
Freed  from  sorrow  and  from  sin. 


252  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  MOLLY,  w.  of  Dea.  Zebedee  Kendall,  who  d.  March 
29,  1833,  aged  74  yrs.  and  1 1  mos. 

On  thy  grave,  lovely  friend,  we  will  drop  the  soft  tear, 
With  the  hope  that  when  Christ  shall  to  judgment  appear 
He  will  raise  in  his  image  thy  slumbering  dust, 
And  conduct  it  to  glories  prepared  for  the  just. 
There,  oh !  there  may  we  meet  to  be  parted  no  more, 
And  with  spirits  made  perfect  our  Maker  adore. 

ZEBEDEE  KENDALL,  d.  Aug.  12,  1839,  aSed  84  yrs->  having  filled  the 
office  of  Deacon  about  fifty  years. 

Firm  as  his  throne  his  promise  stands, 

And  he  can  well  secure 
What  I  've  committed  to  his  hands 

Till  the  decisive  hour. 

In  memory  of  two  children,  daughters  of  Mr.  Leonard  and  Mrs.  Mary 
Butterfield,  SARAH,  d.  April  22,  1805,  aged  7  weeks  and  2  ds.,  ABIGAIL, 
d.  April  27,  1805,  aged  8  weeks. 

In  memory  of  MARY  BUTTERFIELD,  dau.  of  Mr.  Leonard  and  Mrs. 
Mary  Butterfield  who  d.  Jan.  22,  1813,  in  the  i6th  year  of  her  age. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  MARY,  widow  of  Lieut.  Amaziah  Swallow,  who  d. 
Feb.  15,  1828,  aged  78. 

Mr.  ASA  SWALLOW,  d.  Feb.  15,  1813,  aged  45  ys. 

In  the  midst  of  life  we  are  in  death. 

Mrs.  SUSANNAH,  w.  of  Asa  Swallow,  d.  April  27,  1848,  aged  75. 
Follow  me,  my  children,  where  I  have  followed  Christ. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  MARTHA  FRENCH,  w.  of  Mr.  Jonas  French,  who 
d.  July  25,  1824,  aged  39. 

Behold,  the  spirit  of  the  just 
Ascends  to  God  on  high, 
And  though  the  body  sleeps  in  dust, 
The  soul  shall  never  die. 

JONAS  FRENCH,  d.  Aug.  13,  1860,  aged  78. 

JONAS,  s.  of  Mr.  Jonas  and  Mrs.  Martha  French,  d.  Oct.  21,  1820,  aged 
5  yrs. 

JOSEPH  A.,  s.  of  Mr.  Jonas  and  Mrs.  Mary  French,  d.  Jan.  31,  1827, 
aged  16  mos. 

SARAH  BLOOD,  d.  Dec.  12,  1842,  aged  45  yrs. 

SILAS  W.  BLOOD,  d.  Aug.  7,  1842,  aged  27  yrs.  and  7  mos. 

REBEKAH,  widow  of  Silas  Blood,  Jr ,  d.  April  15,  1841,  aged  60  yrs. 
Erected  by  Ebenezer  Steadman. 

SILAS  BLOOD,  Jr.,  d.  Oct.  i,  1815,  aged  28  yrs. 
Erected  by  Allen  Blood. 


1 873]  INSCRIPTIONS.     CENTRAL   CEMETERY.  253 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  SARAH,  w.  of  Mr.  Silas  Blood,  who  d.  Oct.  5,  1834, 
aged  75. 

There  was  a  time,  that  time  is  past, 

When,  youth,  I  bloomed  like  thee  ; 
The  time  will  come,  't  is  coming  fast, 

When  thou  wilt  fade  like  me. 
So  once  was  I,  so  you  must  be, 
Prepare  for  death  &  follow  me. 
Here  I  lie  beneath  this  humble  stone, 
Lifeless  as  a  lump  of  clay, 
Not  to  rise  till  the  resurrection  day. 

In  memory  of  REUBEN  BLOOD,  s.  of  Mr.  Silas  and  Mrs.  Sarah  his  w., 
who  d.  Aug.  ist,  1817,  aged  17  yrs.  and  5  mos. 

Sleep,  sweet  child,  and  take  your  rest, 
For  God  did  call  when  he  thought  best. 
The  beauteous  youth  is  gone, 

The  sweet,  loved  object  is  fled, 
Entered  his  long,  eternal  home, 
And  numbered  with  the  dead. 

In  memory  of  SARAH  GREEN  BLOOD,  dau.  of  Mr.  Silas  &  Mrs.  Sarah 
Blood,  who  d.  Aug.  ye  joth,  1794,  aged  10  mos.  &  II  dys. 

Lovelyness  and  Beauty 
Frees  no  age  from  Death. 

Mrs.  SARAH,  w.  of  Mr.  Silas  Blood,  d.  Feb.  6,  1814,  aged  88. 
Walk  home,  my  friends,  dry  up  your  tears, 
For  I  must  He  till  Christ  appears, 
And  when  my  Jesus  doth  me  call, 
I  hope  in  bliss  to  meet  you  all. 

An  old  stone,  with  a  part  of  the  inscription  broken  off,  has  this  admo- 
nition :  — 

Death  is  a  Debt  from  nature  due, 
Which  I've  pay'd,  &  so  must  you. 

MARY,  dau.  of  Mr.  Samuel  and  Mrs.  Patty  Kendall,  d.  Sept.  5,  1812, 
aged  3  yrs. 

Sweet  child  no  more,  but  seraph  now, 
Before  the  throne  behold  her  bow  ; 
Her  soul,  enlarged  to  angel's  size, 
Joins  in  the  triumphs  ef  the  skies. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  ELIZABETH  SIMONDS,  who  d.  Mar.  6, 1805,  aged  68. 

Sickness  sore  long  time  I  bore, 

Physicians  were  in  vain, 
Till  God  was  pleased,  death  did  cease  [seize], 

To  ease  me  of  my  pain. 


254  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  ANNA  PRATT,  w.  of  Mr.  Thomas  Pratt,  who  d.  Jan. 
I,  1806.  in  the  62nd  y  of  her  age. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  BENJAMIN  PARKER,  who  d.  Apr.  24,  1828,  aged  60. 

ELIZABETH,  his  w.,  d.  Apr.  25,  1842,  aged  73. 

CLARK.  PARKER,  Jr.,  d.  June  4,  1849,  aged  37  yrs. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  WINSLOW,  s.  of  Mr.  Clark  and  Mrs.  Tamar  Parker, 
who  d.  Nov.  14,  1833,  aged  20. 

EMELINE,  dau.  of  Mr.  Clark  and  Mrs.  Lucy  Parker,  d.  Feb.  18,  1829, 
aged  21  mos. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  LUCY,  w.  of  Mr.  Clark  Parker,  who  d.  June  30, 
1836,  aged  49. 

CLARK  PARKER,  d  July  25,  1863,  aged  78  yrs. 

In  memory  of  REBECCA,  dau.  of  Mr.  Emerson  Parker  and  Eunice  his 
w.,  who  d.  Jan.  6,  1825,  aged  2  yrs.  &  8  mos. 

Stay,  passenger,  though  dead  I  speak, 

You  know  the  wor3  conveyed. 
A  thousand  calls  like  this  you've  heard, 

But  have  you  one  obeyed  ? 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  TAMAR,  w.  of  Mr.  Clark  Parker,  who  d.  Oct.  5, 
1815,  aged  33. 

In  memory  of  Miss  NANCY  HOBBS,  who  d.  Oct.  2,  1820,  aged  44. 

Far  from  thy  kindred  thou  dost  gently  sleep, 
Yet  friendship  may  bedew  this  verdant  sod, 

Religion  o'er  thy  peaceful  grave  may  weep, 

While  Hope  can  view  thy  better  part  with  God. 

In  memory  of  Miss  VENUS  PITMAN,  who  d.  Mar.  22,  1833,  aged  49  yrs. 
Mr.  STEPHEN  PRATT,*  who  d  May  i,  1827,  aged  42. 

Man  cometh  forth  like  a  flower  and  is  cut  down ;  he  fleeth  also  as  a  shadow, 
and  continueth  not. 

SUSAN  F.,  w.  of  Moses  W.  Crocket,  and  dau.  of  John  &  Sarah  French, 
d.  Nov.  12,  1846,  aged  45. 

In  memory  of  Mr.  JOHN  H.,  s.  of  Mr.  John  and  Mrs.  Sarah  French, 
who  d.  Apr.  3,  1831,  aged  20  yrs.  &  7  mos. 

BETSEY  BAKER,  d.  Mar.  4,  1840,  aged  74  yrs. 

EMILY  BAKER,  d.  Feb.  9,  1840,  aged  44. 

*  Son  of  Thomas  Pratt,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution,  and  married  for 
his  first  wife  Anna  Lawrence,  of  Groton,  by  whom  he  had,  inter  alias,  Stephen, 
who  married  Rebecca  Blodgett,  of  Westford,  by  whom  he  had  issue  William 
Warren,  b.  Oct.  21,  1809;  Maria,  b.  Aug.  12,  1811  ;  Sarah  Ann,  b.  Jan.  7,  1814; 
Martha  and  \iary  (twins),  b.  June  19,  1815  ;  Nancy,  b.  Feb.  16,  1819 ;  and  Eliza, 
b.  Oct.  20,  1822.  Mr.  Stephen  Pratt  was  by  trade  a  joiner,  having  served  his 
time  with  Mr.  Asa  Woods.  His  widow  died  in  November,  1860. 


l873]  INSCRIPTIONS.     CENTRAL   CEMETERY.  255 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  NABBY,  \v.  of  Capt.  Peter  Proctor,  who  d.  Dec.  n, 
1820,  aged  52.  In  memory  of  Capt.  PETER  PROCTOR,  who  d.  Mar.  22, 
1831,  aged  55. 

In  memory  of  Miss  SARAH  PROCTOR,  who  d.  Oct.  14,  1828,  aged  24. 

Her  soul  the  Friend  of  sinners  sought, 
She  found  Him  gracious,  and  His  grace  she  taught. 
Her  state  was  humble,  but  her  faith  was  good. 
Attend,  she  still  would  point  thee  up  to  God. 

In  memory  of  Miss  HANNAH  BLODGETT,  dau.  of  Mr.  Thaddeus  and 
Mrs.  Hannah  Blodgett,  who  d.  Nov.  27,  1814,  aged  25  yrs.,  8  mos.  and 
23  ds. 

JOHN  W.  DRAKE,  d.  Nov.  21,  1834,  aged  36.  Formerly  of  Mansfield, 
Mass. 

A  believer  in  rewards  and  punishments  according  to  the  deeds  done  in  the  body. 
Erected  by  his  brother,  T.  G.  W.  Drake. 

WALTER  LAWRENCE,  d.  Oct.  19,  1855,  aged  41. 
HENRY  LAWRENCE,  d.  Apr.  17,  1852,  aged  66. 
BRADFORD  READ,  d.  July  23,  1846,  aged  35  yrs. 
In  memory  of  JOHN  CUMMINGS,  who  d.  Janv-  30,  1845,  aged  63  yrs. 
Sacred  to  the  memory  of  SARAH  ELLINOR,  w.  of  John  A.  Cummings, 
M.  D.,  who  d.  May  31,  1841,  aged  25. 

JOHN  ALFRED  EMMONS,  an  infant  s.,  born  May  26,  1841,  d.  Aug.  15, 
1841. 

And  there  afar  in  yonder  home  of  angels, 

Where  sorrow's  wave  ne'er  wrecks  the  bark  of  joy, 
Through  fields  of  green  whose  verdure  ne'er  decayeth 
The  sainted  mother  leads  her  cherub  boy. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  REBECCA  CUMMINGS,  who  d.  Oct.  24,  1838, 
aged  28. 

With  a  hope  full  of  immortality, 
Truly  she  fell  asleep  in  Jesus. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  CATHERINE  CM  w  of  Dea.  Thomas  Parker, 
who  d.  Feb.  14,  1841,  aged  27. 

Dear  as  thou  wert,  and  justly  dear, 

We  would  not  weep  for  thee, 

It  is  that  thou  art  free. 
Gently  the  passing  spirit  fled, 

Sustained  by  grace  divine. 
Oh,  may  such  grace  on  us  be  shed 

And  make  our  end  like  thine  ! 


256  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 

OUR  MOTHER. 

CATHERINE  B.,  widow  of  the  late  John  Cummings,  d.  Sept.  23,  1859, 
aged  78  yrs.  and  8  mos. 

Mother,  on  earth  we  loved  thee  well, 

We  love  thy  memory  still, 
For  thou  art  now  a  saint  in  heaven, 

And  freed  from  every  ill. 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  JOHN  CUMMINGS,  who  d.  Jany-  30,  1845,  aged 

63- 

He  lived  desired  and  died  lamented. 

SARAH,W.  of  John  French,  born  July  18,  1781  ;  d.  Oct.  20,  1862. 
JOHN  FRENCH,  born  March  17,  1778  ;  d.  Apr.  16,  1861. 
JONAS  TAYLOR,  d.  July  24,  1848,  aged  81  yrs. 

Here  sleeps  our  father  in  the  silent  dust, 

By  all  our  sorrows,  all  our  love,  unmoved, 
Sleeps  till  the  solemn  summons  of  the  just 

Bids  him  awake  to  meet  the  God  he  loved. 

ELIZABETH,  dau.  of  Eleazer  and  Rebecka  Miller,  d.  Aug.  18, 1835,  aged 
9  mos. 

GEORGIANA  C.  DAVIS,  d.  Aug.  8,  1860,  aged  16  yrs.  and  7  mos. 

The  flower  is  of  earth, 

But  the  perfume  is  from  heaven. 

ISAAC  CHANEY,  d.  March  26,  1866,  aged  85  yrs. 
SUSANNAH,  w.  of  Isaac  Chaney,  d.  May  5,  1847,  aged  53. 

Her  end  was  peace,  an  emblem  of  her  life, 
For  all  who  knew  her,  knew  her  but  to  love. 

She  was  too  pure  for  earth's  unceasing  strife, 
So  Jesus  called  her  to  His  home  above. 

JULIA  A.,  dau  of  Isaac  and  Susannah  Chaney,  d.  Nov.  27,  1838,  aged  n 

yrs. 

A  lovely  flower  in  this  garden  placed, 
Permitted  just  to  bloom  and  part  in  haste. 

EUNICE  B.  WOODWARD,  w.  of  John  Woodward,  d.  Oct.  n,  1865,  aged 
67  yrs.  and  3  mos. 

JOHN  A.,  s.  of  John  and  M.  J.  Woodward,  d.  Apr.  2,  1869,  aged  9  mos. 
and  28  ds. 

CHARLES  L.,  s.  of  Lowell  and  Maria  A.  Whitcomb,  d.  Dec.  13,  1864, 
aged  22  yrs. 

Jesus  is  my  Saviour. 


1  8/3] 


INSCRIPTIONS.     CENTRAL    CEMETERY. 


TEMPLE  KENDALL,  Esq.,  d.  Aug.  20,  1850,  aged  82  yrs.,  2  mos.,  and 

23  ds. 

Dearest  father,  thou  hast  left  us, 

Here  thy  loss  we  deeply  feel, 

But  't  is  God  that  hath  bereft  us 

He  will  all  our  sorrows  heal. 

PRUDENCE,  w.  of  Temple  Kendall,  d.  Jany-  6,  1868,  aged  94  yrs.  and  5 
mos. 

Mother,  thou  art  gone  to  rest, 
We  will  not  weep  for  thee, 
For  thou  art  now  where  oft  on  earth 
Thy  spirit  longed  to  be. 

MARY  ELLA,  dau.  of  Lowell  and  Harriet  P.  Walton,  d.  Oct.  4,  1860, 
aged  7  yrs.,  2  mos.,  and  4  ds. 

Dear  parents,  grieve  no  more  for  me, 

My  parents,  grieve  no  more, 
Believe  that  I  am  happier  far 

Than  when  with  you  before. 

SARAH  L.,  w.  of  Simeon  B.  Lowell,  d.  Jan.  8,  1850,  aged  27  yrs. 

Matter  shall  put  on  incorruption  and  be  at  peace  with  the  spirit.  Amen,  and 
so  it  shall  be. 

SARAH  E.,  d.  July  30,  1851,  aged  6  yrs.  and  3  mos.  ;  REBECCA  C.,  d. 
Aug.  4,  1867,  aged  3  yrs.  and  4  mos.,  children  of  S.  B.  and  Sarah  L. 
Lowell. 

HANNAH  P.,  w.  of  Rufus  K.  Green,  d.  May  30,  1852,  aged  28. 

HANNAH  P.,  dau.  of  Rufus  K.  and  Hannah  P.  Green,  d.  Sept.  22,  1852, 
aged  4  mos.  and  13  ds. 

Sweet  babe,  thy  sufferings  are  o'er, 

God  hath  called  thee  home  to  rest, 
Freed  from  pain,  sin,  and  sorrow, 

Gone  to  be  forever  blest. 

SARAH  A.,  dau.  of  Rufus  K.  and  Sarah  A.  Green,  d.  Oct.  12,  1854, 
aged  6  mos.  and  7  ds. 

Sweet  babe,  thou  germ  of  fondest  hope, 

To  us  was  kindly  given 
To  show  how  sweet  a  bud  would  ope 

To  bloom  with  Christ  in  heaven. 

HANNAH,  w.  of  Charles  Tuttle,  d.  March  18,  1865,  aged  76. 
MARK  FLETCHER,  d.  Aug.  4,  1851,  aged  60  yrs. 
RHODA,  w.  of  Mark  Fletcher,  d.  Oct.  25,  1858,  aged  61  yrs. 
NANCY  C.,  dau.  of  Mark  and  Rhoda  Fletcher,  d.  June  27,  1833,  aged 
12  yrs.,  4  mos. 
17 


258  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l873 

MARY  B.,  w.  of  George  W.  Fletcher,  d.  Oct.  2,  1868,  aged  41  yrs. 

SALLY  A.,  w.  of  Dr.  S.  M.  Fletcher,  d.  at  Westerly,  R.  I.,  April  20, 
1867,  aged  48  years. 

ELIZABETH  K.,  w.  of  Abel  Spaulding,  and  dau.  of   Capt.  Jonas  and 
Olive  Kendall,  d.  in  New  York,  July  25,  1855,  aged  47. 
In  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions. 

O.  C.  B.  SPAULDING,  w.  of  Rev.  J.  Spaulding.  New  York,  and  dau.  of 
Capt.  Jonas  and  Olive  Kendall,  d.  March  14,  1852,  aged  50. 
With  Christ  which  is  far  better.  —  Phil,  i,  23. 

SARAH  KENDALL,  d.  April  n,  1806,  aged  4  weeks. 
ELMIRA  KENDALL,  d.  Jan.  27,  1813,  aged  2  yrs. 
OLIVE  B.  KENDALL,  d.  Sept.  15,  1856,  aged  82. 
JONAS  KENDALL,  d.  Nov.  18,  1865,  aged  93. 
CAROLINE  P.  KENDALL,  d.  Dec.«8,  1855,  aged  47. 
ZEBULON  BLODGETT,  d.  June  15,  1857,  aged  59. 

Here  lies  lamented  in  a  silent  grave, 

A  tender  husband,  parent  brave. 

O  king  of  terrors,  how  couldst  thou  destroy 

The  wife's  dear  hope,  and  his  children's  joy  ? 

Alas  !  he  's  gone,  and  like  the  silent  dove, 

To  increase  the  number  of  the  blest  above. 

GEORGE  E.,  only  son  of  Samuel  S.  and  Rachel  Taylor,  d.  at  Frederick, 
Md.,  Feb.  8,  1862,  aged  20  yrs.  A  member  of  Co.  H,  2d  Reg.  Mass. 
Vols. 

Though  not  upon  the  battle-field 

He  breathed  his  latest  breath 
For  freedom  and  for  country, 

He  died  a  hero's  death. 
Promoted  from  the  ranks  below 

To  join  the  ranks  on  high, 
In  bleeding  hearts  he  loved  and  left, 
His  name  shall  never  die. 

JONATHAN  PROCTOR,  d.  Feb.  27,  1873,  aged  87  yrs.  &  3  mos. 
WARREN  W.,  s.  of  Z.  P.  &  C.  W.  Proctor,  d.  Jan.  7,  1868,  aged  12  yrs., 
4  mos.,  &  4  days. 
Little  MARY  A. 

He  took  little  children  in  his  arms  and  blessed  them. 

ALBERT  J ,  s.  of  Amaziah  and  Asenath  Swallow,  d.  Dec.  7,  1850,  aged 
22  yrs. 

How  still  &  peaceful  is  the  grave, 
Where  life's  vain  tumults  cease  ! 
The  appointed  house,  by  heaven's  decree, 
Receives  us  all  at  last. 


l873]  INSCRIPTIONS.      CENTRAL   CEMETERY.  259 

Capt.  AMAZIAH  SWALLOW,  d.  Oct.  6,  1857,  aged  70. 

Beneath  this  stone,  till  Christ  shall  bid  him  rise, 
A  husband  dear,  a  most  loved  father,  lies. 
Yet  cease  to  weep,  't  is  God,  be  calm  &  still, 
And  bow  in  sweet  submission  to  his  will. 

ASENATH,  w.  of  Amaziah  Swallow,  d.  Oct.  30,  1865,  aged  77. 

MOTHER. 
Yet  again  we  hope  to  meet  thee, 

When  the  day  of  life  is  fled, 
Then  in  heaven  with  joy  to  greet  thee, 
Where  no  farewell  tear  is  shed. 

ALBERT  O.,  s.  of  Amaziah  &  Asenath  Swallow,  d.  Oct.  18,  1826,  aged 
3  yrs.  &  10  mos. 

Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not. 

JASPER  P.  PROCTOR,  d.  Apr.  23,  1851,  aged  31  yrs. 

An  honest  man  's  the  noblest  work  of  God. 

MARY  ANN,  dau.  of  Jasper  P.  Proctor  and  Mary  his  w.,  d.  Sept.  25,  1822, 
aged  10  mos. 

So  fades  the  lovely,  blooming  flower, 
Frail,  smiling  solace  of  an  hour; 
So  soon  our  transient  comforts  fly, 
And  pleasure  only  blooms  to  die. 

JASPER  P.  PROCTOR,  d.  Sept.  19,  1865,  aged  72  yrs. 
MARY  B.,  w.  of  Jasper  P.  Proctor,  d.  April  n,  1866,  aged  70  yrs. 
JOSIAH  CUMMINGS,  d.  Sept.  19,  1864,  aged  81  years. 
REBECCAH,  w.  of  Josiah  Cummings,  d.  Feb.  5,  1866,  aged  76  yrs. 
REBECCAH,  dau.  of  Josiah  &  Rebeccah  Cummings,  d.  Apr.  7,  1811,  aged 
9  mos. 

JOSIAH  SPAULDING,  d.  Nov.  18,  1857,  aged  93. 
MARY,  w.  of  Josiah  Spaulding,  d.  Apr.  26,  1864,  aged  86. 

Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord. 

LAURA  S  ,  w.  of  Benajah  Parkhurst,  d.  Jan.  20,  1868,  aged  69  yrs.  & 
5  mos. 

ADDISON  B.,  s.  of  Benajah  and  Laura  S.  Parkhurst,  d.  Oct.  i,  1831, 
aged  3  yrs.,  1 1  mos. 

ALVIRA  L.,  dau.  of  Benajah  and  Laura  S.  Parkhurst,  d.  May  3,  1872, 
.aged  46  yrs.  &  3  mos. 

Gone  up  from  human  love 

To  higher  love  and  care, 
From  pain  below  to  peace  above, 

In  mansions,  oh  !  so  fair. 


2(3o  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 

HANNAH  JANE,  dau.  of  Peter  and  Elizabeth  Kendall,  d.  Janr.   22,  1839, 
aged  9  mos.  and  3  ds. 
JAMES  M.  KENDALL,  d.  at  Hartford,  Conn.,  Dec.  12,  1854,  aged  24yrs. 

A  star  that  did  in  glory  shine, 
The  hand  that  made  it  is  divine. 

PETER  KENDALL,  d.  Sept.  5,  1861,  aged  67. 

My  husband  —  our  father. 

HIRAM  R.  KENDALL,  d.  in  the  U.  S.  G.  Hospital  at  Natchez,  Miss.,  Nov. 
3,  1864.  A  member  of  Co.  G,  8  Reg.  N.  H.  Vols.  Interred  here  Jany- 
30,  1866,  aged  25  yrs.,  6  mos. 

"  The  star-spangled  banner  in  triumph  shall  wave 
O'er  the  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave." 

ALMIRA  READ,  w.  of  I.  N.  Wright,  d.  Dec.  21,  1847,  aged  39  yrs. 
We  shall  meet  again. 

EMMA  A.  P.,  w.  of  I.  N.  Wright,  d.  May  23,  1870,  aged  47  yrs.  and  6 

mos. 

Thou  hast  the  test 

That  heaven  itself  can  give  thee  rest 

HARRIETTA  A.,  dau.  of  I.  N.  and  A.  R.  Wright,  d.  Jany-  17,  1845,  age^ 
3  yrs.,  4  mos. 

"  Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 

SILAS  PARKHURST,  d.  Apr.  14,  1863,  aged  78  yrs.  and  7  mos. 
He  that  believeth  in  Me  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live. 

LUCY,  w.  of  Silas  Parkhurst,  d.  May  25,  1854,  aged  66. 

Nor  art  nor  virtue  could  redeem  from  death, 
Nor  anxious  love  prolong  the  laboring  breath, 
Conjugal  bands  asunder  must  be  torn 
And  partner  and  children  left  to  mourn  ; 
But  let  her  virtues  now  your  grief  suppress, 
And  wait  reluctant  till  you  meet  in  death. 

MARIA,  dau.  of  Silas  and  Lucy  Parkhurst,  d.  July  28,  1850,  aged  20, 
yrs.  and  9  mos. 

Long  shall  thy  memory  be  revered 

By  those  who  knew  thy  worth, 
By  those  to  whom  thou  wert  endeared 
By  the  strongest  ties  on  earth. 

EAGEN,  J.,  d.  Dec.  4.  1848,  aged  5  mos.,  3  ds. 


l8/3]  INSCRIPTIONS.     CENTRAL  CEMETERY.  26l 

LUCIEN  E.,  d.  Sept.  I,  1856,  aged  16  mos.,  3  ds.     Children  of  Joel,  Jr., 
and  Louisa  Gilson. 

Two  lovely  babes,  so  young,  so  fair, 

CalFd  home  by  early  doom, 
Just  come  to  show  how  such  sweet  flowers 

In  Paradise  could  bloom. 

Dea.  THADDEUS  DAVIS,  d.  Jany-  10,  1863,  aged  95. 
BRIDGET,  his  w.,  d.  Jany-  26,  1826,  aged  61. 

Their  souls  have  now  taken  their  flight 

To  mansions  of  glory  above, 
To  mingle  with  angels  of  light, 

And  dwell  in  the  kingdom  of  love. 

ELLEN,  dau.  of  Moses  and  Susan  Davis,  d.  May  9,  1858,  aged  19  yrs. 

Like  a  fair  flower  in  nature's  wild 
So  bloomed  awhile  this  lovely  child, 
But  cruel  death  soon  snatched  the  prize 
And  bore  it  fragrant  to  the  skies. 

FRANCES  E.,  dau.  of  Moses  and  Susan  Davis,  d.  Jan.  29,  1854,  aged  2 
yrs.  and  6  mos. 

CALEB  G.  JEWETT,  d.  May  20,  1856,  aged  72  yrs. 

MY  FATHER. 

MARY  ANN,  w.  of  Jacob  Parkhurst,  Jr.,  d.  Aug.  6,  1857,  aged  39  yrs., 

2  mos. 

Loved  one,  farewell,  thy  conflicts  are  o'er, 

Sin,  doubt,  and  temptation  assail  thee  no  more, 

Thy  friends  so  beloved  thou  biddest  adieu, 

While  faith  points  them  upwards  with  heaven  in  view. 

ABIGAIL  G.,  dau.  of  John  and  Charlotte  Swallow,  d.  Sept.  13,  1845, 
aged  1 8  yrs.  and  9  mos. 

The  lovely  and  the  beautiful, 
How  soon  they  fade  away! 
The  hearts  we  love  and  cherish  most 
First  hasten  to  decay. 

CHARLES  R.  H.,  s.  of  John  and  Charlotte  Swallow,  member  of  Co.  E, 
1st  Wis.  Vol.  Cav'l'y,  d.  at  Cape  Girardeau,  Mo.,  Oct.  12,  1862,  aged  31 
yrs. 

HENRY  PARKHURST,  d.  Sept.  4,  1865,  aged  72  yrs.  and  2  mos. 

At  rest. 

ABIGAIL,  w.  of  Henry  Parkhurst,  d.  Sept.  6,  1868,  aged  70  yrs.  and  7 

mos. 

We  go  at  His  command. 


262  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 

WM.  R.,  s.  of  Henry  and  Abigail  Parkhurst,  d.  in  Sacramento,  Cal., 
May  20,  1852,  aged  24^  yrs. 

FANNIE  M.,  w.  of  John  A.  Parkhurst,  d.  April  19,  1868,  aged  25  yrs. 
and  2  mos. 

We  cherish  sweet  memories  of  thee. 

GONE  HOME.  —  MARY  ADDIE,  d.  Nov.  29,  1861,  aged  19  yrs.,  n  mos., 
25  ds. ;  ELLEN  LIZZIE,  d.  Dec.  27,  1863,  aged  18  yrs. ,9  mos.,  and  16 
ds.,  children  of  Wm.  W.  and  Esther  W.  Tenney. 

Their  souls  have  now  taken  their  flight 

To  mansions  of  glory  above, 
To  mingle  with  angels  of  light, 

And  dwell  in  the  kingdom  of  love. 

Our  little  MARY  LIZZIE. 

Parted  below,  united  above. 

LEONARD  BUTTERFIELD,  d.  Nov.  29,  1857,  aged  58  (?)  yrs.,  9  mos. 
Man  knoweth  not  his  time. 

GONE  HOME.  —  ASA  BUTTERFIELD,  d.  Aug.  27,  1856,  aged  55. 

He  is  gathered  to  his  final  rest, 

We  meet  him  here  again  no  more, 
He  is  sleeping  on  the  earth's  cold  breast, 
Where  all  the  cares  of  life  are  o'er. 
We  hope  when  called  from  earth  away 
To  meet  him  in  eternal  day. 

PAMELIA  T.,  w.  of  Asa  Butterfield,  d.  April  n,  1848,  aged  43. 
MAY  A.,  dau.  of  Asa  and  Pamelia  T.  Butterfield,  d.  April  22,  1847, 
aged  17. 

Thou  wast  not  born  to  dwell  on  earth, 
Joys  nobler,  purer,  were  designed 
To  fill  thy  young,  immortal  mind. 

ALVIRA,  IST,  d.  Sept.  14,  1820,  aged  3  yrs.;  ALVIRA,  20,  d.  July  28, 
1840,  aged  17  yrs.,  children  of  James  and  Sibbel  Swallow. 
SIBBEL,  w.  of  James  Swallow,  d.  Aug.  17,  1862,  aged  71  yrs. 

MOTHER. 

LUCY  A.,  dau.  of  Daniel  and  Rachel  Richardson,  d.  July  27,  1856, 
aged  24  yrs.  and  5  mos. 

We  part  to  meet  again. 

FRANCES  E.,  dau.  of  Daniel  and  Rachel  Richardson,  d.  Sept.  16,  1849, 
aged  2  yrs.,  9  mos. 

JOEL  KEYES,  born  April  26,  1804,  d.  Aug.  u,  1867. 
ABIGAIL,  w.  of  Seth  Nutting,  d.  March  2,  1867,  aged  52. 


1 873]  INSCRIPTIONS.     CENTRAL   CEMETERY. 

CHARLES  A.  BUTTERFIELD,  d.  Aug.  30,  1866.  aged  23  yrs. 
HENRY,  s.  of  Leonard  and  Lucy  W.  Butterfield,  d.  July  3,  1835, 
4ds. 

At  rest. 

WM.  W.  TENNEY,  d.  Sept.  18,  1861,  aged  55  yrs.  and  9  mos. 
ESTHER  W.,  his  wife,  d.  Dec.  17,  1870,  aged  60  yrs.,  n  mos. 

Be  thou  faithful  unto  death  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life.  —  Rev,  ii,  10. 

HARRY  D.,  s.  of  A.  W.  and  M.  D  Howe,  d.  April  6,  1860,  aged  i  yr., 
7  mos. 

Sergeant  WM.  W.  CUMMINGS,  only  son  of  Josiah  T.  and  Rebecca  Cum- 
mings,  aged  27  yrs.  and  4  mos.  Member  of  Co.  H,  ist  Minnesota  Regi- 
ment. He  was  amongst  the  first  to  respond  to  the  President's  call  for 
troops  to  suppress  the  great  Rebellion,  and  was  killed  while  in  the  faith- 
ful discharge  of  his  duty,  at  Poolsville,  Md.,  Oct.  27,  1861.  He  died  the 
death  which  best  becomes  a  man  who  has  his  nation's  honor  near  his 
heart. 

ALBERT  C.  WOODS,  d.  Dec.  18,  1866,  aged  36. 

A  kind  husband,  an  affectionate  father. 

WILLIS  H.  PARKHURST,  d.  Oct.  9,  1871,  aged  22  yrs.  and  6  mos. 
Thy  brother  shall  rise  again. 

GONE  HOME.  —  KENDALL  SWALLOW,  d.  May  5,  1873,  agfid  79  yrs.,  10 
mos.,  and  21  ds. 

Farewell,  dear  Husband,  Father,  Friend  so  dear, 
Oh,  how  we  miss  you  here  ! 
But  we  hope  to  meet  again. 

LYDIA  K.,  w.  of  Thaddeus  U.  Davis,  d.  May  13,  1871,  aged  40  (?)  yrs., 
1 1  mos. 

Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see  God. 

ABBIE  L.,  dau.  of  T.  U.  and  L.  K.  Davis,  d.  Sept.  25, 1851,  aged  3  yrs., 
9  mos.  Also  their  twin  babes. 

Thy  will,  O  God,  be  done. 

MARY  ANN,  w.  of  Isaac  Kendall,  d.  July  5,  1870,  aged  46  yrs. 

MOTHER. 

HANNAH  TAYLOR,  d.  May  24,  1849,  aged  81  yrs. 

Look,  children  dear,  upon  this  hallowed  stone, 

We  stand  upon  a  spot  of  love  and  fear, 
For  there  is  laid  a  heart,  the  fondest  one 

That  ever  left  its  children  weeping  here. 

F.  TAYLOR,  d.  in  Boston,  Aug.  5,  1847,  aged  48  yrs. 


264 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


ALPHEUS  BOWERS,  d.  Oct.  30,  1858,  aged  51.  JULIA  A.,  his  w.,d.  Sept. 
'5,  1  855,  aged  46. 

Children  of  Alpheus  and  Julia  A.  Bowers.  ELIZA,  d.  Dec.  25,  1850, 
aged  16  yrs.  JOSEPH  A.,  d.  Dec.  i  ,  1841,  aged  1  1  mos.  Died  in  Chelms- 

ford. 

FATHER  —  MOTHER.    ELIZA,  ADELAIDE,  JOSEPH. 

ZERVIAH,  w.  of  Truman  Gile,  d.  Jany-  10,  1852,  aged  75. 

JOSIAH  KENDALL,  d.  July  31,  1850,  aged  8/. 

BETSEY,  w.  of  Josiah  Kendall,  d.  July  7,  1855,  aged  82  yrs. 

ANN  M.,  w.  of  Nathaniel  C.  Kendall,  d.  Sept.  28,  1857,  aged  46. 

Grieve  not,  kind  partner,  while  I  sleep 

Far  from  thy  lonely  home, 
Thee  and  thy  friends  may  Jesus  keep, 

Till  thy  own  last  change  come. 

SARAH  JANE,  dau.  of  Alvah  and  Mary  W.  Kendall,  d.  Dec.  10,  1844, 
aged  4  yrs.,  3  mos. 

HARRIET  L.,dau.  of  Alvah  and  Mary  W.  Kendall,  d.  June  7,  1846,  aged 
i  day. 

OILMAN,  s.  of  John  and  Rachel  Kendall,  d.  Nov.  11,  1847,  aged  20  yrs. 

SAMUEL  RADDIN,  d.  June  20,  1853,  aged  52. 

JOHN,  d.  Oct.  27,  1846,  aged  6  yrs.,  5  mos.  ISABEL,  d.  Aug.  30,  1850, 
aged  2  yrs.,  3  mos. 

SAMUEL  H.,  d.  June  27,  1851,  aged  7  yrs  ,  10  mos.  Children  of  Samuel 
and  Rebecca  Raddin. 

FRANCES  E.,  w.  of  Andrew  Williams,  d.  Sept.  i,  1856,  aged  22  yrs. 

MARTHA  J.,  d.  Feb.  13,  1860,  aged  23  yrs.,  10  mos. 

AUGUSTA  A.,  d.  May  30,  1860,  aged  23  yrs.,  2  mos.  Daughters  of 
Samuel  and  Rebecca  Raddin. 

CUMMINGS  WOODS,  d.  Apr.  6,  1850,  aged  51. 

POLLY  WOODS,  w.  of  Asa  Woods,  d.  Aug.  12,  1851,  aged  73.  ASA 
WOODS,  d.  Oct.  18,  1870,  aged  93  yrs.,  11  mos. 

Man  is  like  to  vanity  ;  his  days  are  like  a  shadow  that  passeth  away. 

JOHN  RADDIN,  d.  Oct.  27,  1860,  aged  85  yrs.  and  8  mos.  HANNAH  COPP, 
his  w.,  d.  Nov.  29,  1859,  aged  86  yrs.,  10  ds.     Natives  of  Saugus,  Mass. 
Miss  JANE,  dau.  of  Mr.  Phineas  and  Mrs.  Alice  Fletcher,  d.  March  22, 
1834,  aged  30. 

Oh,  why  should  bliss  depart  in  haste, 

And  friendship  stay  to  mourn  ; 
Why  the  fond  passion  cling  so  fast 
When  every  joy  is  gone  ? 

CHARLES  BLOOD,  d.  Sept.  2,  1851,  aged  48. 


I 873]  INSCRIPTIONS.     CENTRAL   CEMETERY.  26$ 

EBENEZER,  s.  of  Mr.  Ebenezer  and  Mrs.  Betsey  Steadman,  d.  Oct.  8, 
1832,  aged  1 8  mos. 

This  lovely  bud  was  reared, 

And  blighted  in  its  bloom. 
God  has  a  sovereign  right  to  call 

His  children  ere  't  is  noon. 

Infant  dau.  of  Varnum  &  Mary  D.  Woods,  d.  Aug.  16,  1843,  aged  5 
weeks. 

Infant  s.  of  Varnum  &  Mary  D.  Woods,  d.  Oct.  26,  1845,  aged  7 
weeks. 

Infant  dau.  of  Varnum  &  Mary  D.  Woods,  d.  Feb.  9,  1847,  aged  6 
weeks. 

ASA  EMERSON,  s.  of  Varnum  &  Mary  D.  Woods,  d.  Aug.  23,  1847, 
aged  7  yrs. 

WM.  WOODS,  d.  March  12,  1859,  aged  75. 

BETSY,  w.  of  Wm.  Woods,  d.  Nov.  20,  1852,  aged  65. 

LOUISA,  d.  Aug.  10,  1832,  aged  21  yrs.  SARAH  ANN,  d.  Aug.  20,  1832, 
aged  6  mos.  &  12  dys.  Daughters  of  Mr.  Wm.  &  Mrs.  Betsey  Woods. 

Dear  parents,  check  those  heaving  sighs, 

Look  not  upon  our  lowly  bed, 
Up  to  thy  Saviour  raise  thine  eyes, 

And  see  us  in  his  bosom  laid. 

CHARLOTTE,  w.  of  Isaac  Woods,  d.  Dec.  n,  1843,  aged  69. 

Lo  !  where  the  silent  willow  weeps 
A  partner,  friend,  and  mother  sleeps, 
A  heart  within  whose  sacred  cell, 
The  peaceful  virtues  lov'd  to  dwell. 

ISAAC  WOODS,  d.  Feb.  21,  1849,  aged  74. 

ELBRIDGE  BUTMAN,  d.  Oct.  29,  1839,  aged  29-  GEORGE  E.,  d.  Sept.  5, 
1834,  aged  5  mos.,  9  ds.  SUSAN  M.,  d.  Apr.  20,  1837,  aged  15  mos. 
ALVIN,  d.  Apr.  2,  1838,  aged  5  mos,,  13  dys.  Children  of  Elbridge  & 
Susan  Butman. 

ALPHA  BUTMAN,  d.  Nov.  17,  1866,  aged  27  yrs.  &  10  mos. 

We  '11  meet  again,  where  "  all  looks  bright," 
Where  golden  portals  ope,  and  angels 
Stand  ready  to  let  us  in. 

SARAH  ANN,  dau.  of  Micha  E.  &  Eliza  Robbins,  d.  Sept.  9,  1848,  aged 
3  yrs.,  3  mos. 

One  sweet  flower  has  bloomed  and  faded, 

One  dear  infant  voice  has  fled, 
One  sweet  bud  the  grave  has  shaded, 

Our  loved  Sarah  now  is  dead. 


266  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 

IN  HEAVEN  THERE  is  REST.  —  CYNTHIA  ROBBINS,  d.  Sept.  28,  1861, 
aged  55  yrs.,  6  mos. 

The  Christian's  death  is  but  a  birth 

To  holier,  happier  life  ; 
We  would  not  call  thee  back  to  life, 
To  share  again  its  strife. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  ELIZABETH,  w.  of  Mr.  Benjamin  Robbins,  who  d. 
July  27,  1832,  aged  70. 

Thy  ways,  O  King  of  kings,  are  just, 
Both  when  we  live,  and  turn  to  dust ; 
Then  cease  from  man,  look  up  on  high, 
And  place  your  hopes  above  the  sky. 

SOPHRONIA  SWALLOW,  d.  July  8,  1854,  aged  55  yrs.,  5  mos. 
She  has  gone,  her  sufferings  all  are  o'er, 
Disease  and  pain  are  known  no  more  ; 
Freed  from  earth's  delusions  fair, 
She  is  forever  happy  there. 

JOHN  F.,  s.  of  John  &  Sarah  S.  Blodgett,  d.  May  20,  1841,  aged  3  yrs. 

&  4  mos. 

Our  little  boy  has  gone 

To  rest  in  heaven  above, 
We  feel  that  he  is  n'ot  alone,  — 
He  dwells  with  God  in  love. 

SARAH  S.,  w.  of  John  Blodgett,  d.  May  8,  1842,  aged  40. 
MATILDA  A.,  dau.  of  John  &  Sarah  S.  Blodgett,  d.  Sept.  20,  1861,  aged 
15  yrs.,  ii  mos. 

Parents,  brothers,  sisters,  do  not  weep, 
I  am  not  dead,  but  only  sleep. 
I  have  left  the  world's  delusive  charms, 
And  gone  to  rest  in  Jesus'  arms. 

Erected  in  memory  of  Mr.  EDWARD  DUNN,  who  d.  May  12,  1816, 

aged  56. 

Time  was  when,  like  thee,  I  life  possessed, 
And  time  will  be  when  thou  shalt  rest. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  ANNA,  w.  of  Mr.  Edward  Dunn,  who  d.  Nov.  10, 

1831,  aged  66. 

Time  is  winging  us  away 

To  our  eternal  home  ; 
Life  is  but  a  winter's  day, 

A  journey  to  the  tomb. 

WM.  DUNN,  d.  Dec.   15,   1865,  aged  78  years.     SALLY,  w.  of  Wm. 
Dunn,  d.  April  2,  1867,  aged  73  yrs.,  6  mos. 


1873] 


INSCRIPTIONS.    CENTRAL   CEMETERY. 


NANCY  MITCHELL,  d.  Mar.  31,  1867,  aged  77  yrs.,  6  mos. 
Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Lieut.   PAUL  THORNDIKE,  who  d.  Nov.  9, 
A.  D.  1815,  in  the  74th  year  of  his  age. 

Here  lies  the  flesh  unconscious,  here  confined, 
But  far,  far  distant  dwells  the  immortal  mind. 

Erected  in  memory  of  Mrs.  OLIVE  THORNDIKE,  who  d.  Apr.  23,  1816, 
aged  67. 

Dry  up  your  tears,  surviving  friends, 
Weep  not  not  for  me,  but  for  your  sins  ; 
Die  to  the  world,  live  unto  God, 
The  grave  will  soon  be  your  abode. 

JONATHAN  WOODWARD,  d.  Dec.  24,  1840,  aged  101  yrs.,  7  mos.,  & 

13  dys. 

The  patriot  is  gone,  his  cares  on  earth  are  o'er  ; 
He  lived  to  see  one  hundred  yr's  and  more, 
His  spirit  is  gone  to  Him  that  gave  it  birth, 
His  body  is  left  to  moulder  in  the  earth. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  SARAH,  w.  of  Mr.  Jonathan  Woodward,  who  d.  Feb. 
28,  1829,  aged  80. 

JONATHAN  WOODWARD,  Jr.,  died  Nov.  7,  1848,  aged  73. 
SALLY,  w.  of  Jonathan  Woodward,  Jr.,  d.  Oct.  24,  1860,  aged  83. 
LEONARD  PARKHURST,  d.  July  17,  1861,  aged  61  yrs. 

He  hath  gone  to  Him  who  doeth  all  things  well. 

In  memory  of  Mrs.  LOUISA,  w.  of  Mr.  Leonard  Parkhurst,  who  d.  Nov. 
9,  1834,  aged  21. 

FRANCES  M.,  only  dau.  of  Thomas  and  Matilda  Chancy,  d.  Jan.  31, 
1845,  aged  5  yrs.  and  7  mos. 

A  daughter  &  a  sister  dear 
Lies  cold  in  death  and  slumber  here, 
Beloved,  affectionate,  and  kind, 
Now  gone  a  home  with  Christ  to  find. 

MATILDA,  w.  of  Thomas  F.  Chancy,  d.  March  15,  1847,  aged  36. 

In  life  she  was  gentle  &  happy  &  kind, 

No  sorrows  nor  doubts  did  her  bosom  inthrall, 

In  death  she  was  calm  &  serene  &  resigned, 
Still  trusting  in  God  as  the  Saviour  of  all. 

FANNY  P.,  w.  of  Thomas  F.  Chancy,  d.  June  2,  1860,  aged  41  yrs. 

I  have  loved  thee  on  earth, 
May  I  meet  thee  in  heaven, 


268  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 

JOHN  BLODGETT,  Esq.,  d.  Apr.  29,  1847,  aged  97. 
It  is  the  hope,  the  blissful  hope, 
Which  Jesus'  grace  has  given; 
The  hope,  when  days  and  years  are  past, 
We  all  shall  meet  in  heaven. 

A  memorial  of  MARY,  dau.  of  John  &  Mary  Blodgett,  who  d.  Nov.  23, 
1841,  aged  37  yrs. 

Yes,  we  hope  thou  art  gone  to  rest 

In  the  glorious  realms  above, 
Where  now  like  angels  thou  art  blest, 
The  object  of  eternal  love. 

\ 
HARRIET,  dau.  of  Betsey  and  Edmund  Page,  Esq.,  d.  Jan.  4,  1845, 

aged  22. 

MAHALA  A.,  w.  of  G.  T.  Blodgett,  d.  Jan.  7,  1849,  aged  25. 

ABBY  M.,  w.  of  G.  T.  Blodgett,  d.  Apr.  9,  1860,  aged  29. 

MARY  A.,  dau.  of  G.  T.  &  A.  M.  Blodgett,  d.  Sept.  2,  1860,  aged  3. 

Col.  FREDERIC  BLODGETT,  d.  Oct.  27,  1837,  aged  62. 

HANNAH,  w.  of  Col.  Frederic  Blodgett,  d.  Oct.  8,  1857,  aged  76. 

The  following  list  of  deaths  was  copied  from  Dunstable 
records  by  Temple  Kendall,  town  clerk,  and  recopied  by  Miss 
Hannah  M.  Parkhurst :  — 

John  Woodward,  d.  July  18,  1753  ;  John  Steel,  d.  Aug.  18,  1760  ;  Eben- 
ezer  Parkhurst,  d.  June  13,  1757;  Lt.  John  French,  d.  Mar.  15,  1761  ; 
Hannah,  w.  of  Ebenr.  Kendall,  d.  Feb.  10,  1761  ;  Sarah,  w.  of  Ebenr. 
French,  d.  May  22,  1767;  Dea.  Joseph  Fletcher,  d.  July  17,  1784;  Lt. 
Jona.  Emerson,  d.  Nov.  n,  1785;  Dea.  Saml.  Taylor,  d.  Oct.  23,  1792, 
aet.  85  ;  Dr.  Ebenr.  Starr,  d.  Sept.  7,  1798  ;  Widow  Susannah  Taylor,  d. 
Oct.  14,  1798  ;  Widow  Elizabeth  Proctor,  d.  Jan.  12,  1799  ;  Widow  Sarah 
Swallow,  d.  Jan.  20,  1799;  Timothy  Read,  d.  Apr.  26,  1799,  in  his  86th 
yr.  ;  Josiah  Woodbury,  d.  May  14,  1799  ;  Widow  Deborah  Whitemore,  d. 
Aug.  2.  1799 ;  Betty,  w.  of  Jonas  French,  d.  Oct.  8,  1799  ;  Samuel  Roby, 
d.  Nov.  3,  1799,  in  his  52d  yr.  ;  Abraham  Kendall,  d.  Nov.  14,  1799; 
Miriam,  w.  of  Moses  Hardy,  d.  July  20,  1800;  Hannah,  w.  of  David 
Taylor,  d.  Oct.  23,  1800,  in  her  82d  yr.  ;  Capt.  Leonard  Butterfield,  d. 
Nov.  17,  1800  ;  Mary,  w.  of  Capt.  Philip  Butterfield,  d.  Jan.  16,  1801,  in 
her  43d  year  ;  Lucy,  w.  of  Capt.  Joseph  Fletcher,  d.  July  17,  1801  ;  Sarah, 
w.  of  Capt.  Joel  Cummings,  d.  Jan.  26,  1802,  aged  39;  Elizabeth,  w.  of 
Ebenr.  Parkhurst,  d.  Oct.  8,  1801  ;  Widow  Elizabeth  Fletcher,  d.  Nov. 
23,  1802,  in  her  gSth  yr.  ;  Thus.  Fletcher,  d.  Dec.  22,  1802,  in  his  65th 
yr.  ;  Joseph  Parkhurst,  d.  Jan.  31,  1803  ;  Lt.  Amaziah  Swallow,  d.  Jan. 
21,  1803;  Elizabeth,  w.  of  Jacob  Kendall,  d.  Nov.  3,  1804;  Josiah  War- 
ren Blodgett,  d.  June  20,  1805  ;  Josiah  Blodgett,  d.  July  14,  1805  ;  Widow 


1 8/3]  RECORD   OF  DEATHS.  269 

Jane  Kendall,  d.  Apr.  29,  1806 ;  Sarah,  w.  of  Edward  Kendall,  d.  Dec. 
16,  1806  ;  Capt.  Saml.  Stevens,  d.  Dec.  10,  1805  ;  Widow  Tabitha  Stevens, 
d.  Mar.  16,  1807  ;  Widow  Catharine  Cummings,  d.  Nov.  4,  1807  ;  Ebenr. 
French,  d.  Apr.  4,  1808  ;  Widow  Abigail  French,  d.  July  9,  1808  ;  Betsy, 
w.  of  James  Taylor,  d.  Oct.  I,  1808  ;  Rebecca,  w.  of  Nathl.  Cummings, 
d.  Oct.  13,  1808;  Joel  Parkhurst,  Esq.,  d.  Nov.  10,  1808;  Widow  Susan 
French,  d.  Dec.  27,  1808;  John  Kendall,  d.  Feb.  13,  1809;  Jacob  Ken- 
dall, d.  Feb.  25,  1809  ;  Caleb  Woods,  Jr.,  d.  Mar.  i,  1809  ;  Widow  Deb- 
orah Parkhurst,  d.  March  27,  1809  ;  Henry  Farwell  Woods,  d.  Apr.  9, 
1809;  David  Taylor,  d.  Dec.  15,  1809;  Capt.  Oliver  Cummings,  d.  Aug. 
15,  1810,  aged  83;  Widow  Rachel  Fletcher,  d.  Oct.  10,  1810  ;  Jemima, 
widow  of  Josiah  Blodgett,  d.  Nov.  24,  1810  ;  Eleazer  Read,  d.  Aug.  10, 
1811  ;  Hannah,  widow  of  John  Kendall,  d.  April  30,  1812  ;  Sarah,  w.  of 
Moses  Hardy,  d.  Aug.  9,  1812  ;  Elizabeth,  w.  of  Saml.  Roby,  d.  Oct.  19, 
1812;  Benj.  Marshall,  d.  Nov.  24,  1812;  Sybil,  widow  of  Capt.  Oliver 
Cummings,  d.  Dec.  16,  1812. 

[For  the  names  of  those  who  died  in  1813  see  page  166.] 
Sarah,  widow  of  Caleb  Blood,  d.  Feb.  6,  1814;  Moses  Hardy,  d.  Apr. 
9,  1814;  Rebeckah,  dau.  of  Josiah  Cummings,  d.  Aug.  9,  1814;  Abigail, 
dau.  of  Joseph  Parkhurst,  d.  Sept.  10,  1814  ;  Silas  Johnson,  d.  Oct.  8, 
1814;  Rev.  Joshua  Heywood,  d.  Nov.  II,  1814;  George,  s.  of  Isaac 
Woods,  d.  Feb.  n,  1815;  Amos,  s.  of  Gershom  Proctor,  d.  Apr.  27, 
1815;  Tamar,  w.  of  Clark  Parker,  d.  Oct.  5,  1815;  Silas  Blood,  Jr.,  d. 
Oct.  5,  1815,  aged  28  yrs.  &  7  mos.  ;  Lieut.  Paul  Thorndike,  d.  Nov.  9, 
18.15,  aged  73  yrs.  ;  Sarah,  w.  of  Lieut.  Simeon  Cummings,  d.  Nov.  17, 
1815  ;  Abijah,  s.  of  Abijah  Swallow,  d.  Feb.  26,  1816,  aged  2  mos.  ; 
Sally,  dau.  of  Lieut.  Simeon  Cummings,  d.  Feb.  29,  1816,  aged  45  yrs.  ; 
Rebeckah,  dau.  of  Caleb  Blood,  d.  Mar.  24,  1816  ;  Leonard  Brown,  a 
State  pauper,  d.  Mar.  26,  1816;  Olive,  widow  of  Lieut.  Paul  Thorn- 
dike,  d.  May  I,  1816;  Edward  Dunn,  d.  May  12,  1816,  aged  56yrs."; 
Jonathan,  s.  of  Jonathan  Swallow,  d.  June  29,  1816  ;  Rachel,  w.  of  O. 
Hartwell,  d.  July  n,  1816,  aged  49  yrs.  ;  Eunice,  w.  of  Jonas  Woods, 
d.  Sept.  27,  1816,  aged  24  yrs. ;  Esther,  widow  of  Nathaniel  Cummings, 
d.  Nov.  23,  1816,  aged  49  yrs.  ;  Fanny,  dau.  of  Joseph  Parkhurst,  d.  Dec. 
14,  1816,  aged  30  yrs.  ;  Rebeckah,  w.  of  Abijah  Swallow,  d.  Jan.  14,  1817, 
aged  22  yrs.  9  mos. ;  Olive,  widow  of  Capt.  Leonard  Butterfield,  d.  Jan. 
26,  1817;  Dorothy  Robbins,  d.  Feb.  5,  1817;  Mary  Dandridge,  dau.  of 
John  French,  d.  Feb  13,  1817  ;  Roxana,  dau.  of  Jonathan  Emerson,  d. 
Feb.  21,  1817  ;  Betsy  Robbins,  d.  June  22,  1817  ;  Jonathan,  s.  of  Peabody 
Keyes,  d.  Oct.  — ,  1818 ;  Andrew  Temple,  s.  of  Temple  Kendall,  d.  Dec. 
21,  1818,  aged  5  mos.  ;  Abigail,  w.  of  Lieut.  Temple  Kendall,  d.  June  i, 
1820,  aged  85  yrs.  ;  Joanna,  w.  of  Benj.  Swallow,  d.  Nov.  22,  1820,  aged 
83  yrs.;  Benj.  Swallow,  d.  Jan.  li,  1821,  aged  84  yrs.  ;  Leonard  Park- 
hurst, d.  Mar.  28,  1821,  aged  58  yrs.  ;  George  Parker,  s.  of  George 
Wright,  d.  Apr.  16,  1821,  aged  14  yrs.  ;  Lucy  Damon,  d.  June  15,  1821, 


2;o  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 

aged  20  yrs  ;  Jesse  Blood,  d.  Sept.  2,  1821  ;  Nancy  Hobbs,  d.  Oct.  2, 
1821  ;  Emeline,  dau.  of  Willard  Robbins,  d.  Oct.  5,  1821,  aged  8  yrs.  ; 
Elsie,  dau  of  Davis  Chapman,  d.  Jan.  25.  1822,  aged  7  yrs. ;  Lieut.  Temple 
Kendall,  d  Mar.  6,  1822,  in  his  gist  yr.  ;  Caleb  Woods,  d.  Aug.  13,  1822, 
in  his  86th  yr.  ;  Mary  Ann,  dau.  of  Jasper  P.  Proctor,  d.  Sept.  23,  1822  ; 
Samuel  Howe,  s.  of  Rev.  Samuel  H.  Tolman,  d.  Sept.  30,  1822;  Rachel 
Submit,  dau.  of  Lieut.  Francis  Fletcher,  d.  Nov.  24, 1822  ;  Elijah  Robbins, 
d.  Dec.  1, 1822  ;  Albert,  s.  of  Elijah  Robbins,  d.  Jan.  21,  1823  ;  Hannah,  w. 
of  Lieut.  Francis  Fletcher,  d.  Apr.  u.  1823  ;  Elizabeth,  widow  of  Benjamin 
Marshall,  d.  Aug.  13,  1823  ;  Oliver  Taylor,  d.  Oct.  13,  1823,  aged  77  yrs. ; 
Rebeckah,  widow  of  Silas  Johnson,  d.  Oct.  19,  1823  ;  Jonas  Jewett,  s  of 
Jonas  French,  d.  Oct.  21,  1823  ;  Rhoda,  widow  of  Ens.  Samuel  Fletcher, 
d.  Feb.  13,  1824,  aged  54 ;  Martha,  w.  of  Jonas  French,  Jr.,  d.  July  25, 
1824;  Rebeckah,  dau.  of  Emerson  Parker,  d.  Jan.  6,  1825,  in  her  3d  yr.  ; 
Alice  Powers,  d.  Feb.  13,  1825,  aged  88  yrs.  ;  Lydia,  widow  of  Abel 
Spaulding,  d.  Mar.  10,  1825,  aged  83  yrs. 

The  following  record  of  births*  in  Dunstable  was  copied  from 
the  books  of  the  town  by  Temple  Kendall,  a  former  town 
clerk  :  — 

CHILDREN  OF  ADFORD  AND  MARGET  JAQUITH  :  —  Marget,  b.  Feb.  14, 
1736;  Mary,  b.  Nov.  25,  '38;  Sarah,  b.  May  u,  '41  ;  Abigail,  b.  Aug. 
20,  '43  ;  John,  b.  May  4,  '46 ;  Adford,  b.  Oct.  16,  '48  ;  Benjamin,  Sept.  9, 
'50;  Hannah,  b.  Sept.  28, '52  ;  Elizabeth,  b.  June  10,  '55;  Rebeccah,  b. 
May  5,  '59. 

CHILDREN  OF  EBENEZER  AND  SARAH  PARKHURST  :  — Joseph,  b.  Aug. 
30,  1724;  Ebenezer,  b.  Jan.  20/28;  Sarah,  b.  Feb.  21,  '30;  Mary,  b. 
May  3,  '33  ;  Silas,  b.  Sept.  I,  '37  ;  Joel,  b.  Aug.  13,  '41. 

CH[LDREN   OF   EBENEZER  AND  SARAH    BUTTERFIELD  :  —  Ebenezer,  b. 

Jan.  26,  1732  ;  Samuel,  b.  Feb.  24,  '38 ;  Leonard,  b.  Nov.  17,  '40  ;  Jonas, 
b.  Sept.  12,  '42  ;  Sarah,  b.  June  23,  '46  ;  Mary,  b.  Oct.  3,  '48 ;  Jesse,  b. 
Apr.  28,  '52  ;  Philip,  b.  Oct.  8,  '57. 

CHILDREN  OF  EBENEZER  AND  HANNAH  KENDALL:  —  Asa,  b.  Mar. 
16,  1735;  Ebenezer,  b.  Oct.  5,  '36;  Abraham,  b.  Feb.  17,  '39;  Hannah, 
b.  Oct.  13,  '41  ;  Molly,  b.  Apr.  9,  '44;  Abraham,  b.  Nov.  29,  '47  ;  Wil- 
liam, b.  Oct.  9,  '50 ;  Hezekiah,  b.  Apr.  14,  '53  ;  Abraham,  b.  Apr.  12, 
'56  ;  Joseph  Hasey,  b.  Dec.  i,  '59  ;  Isaac,  b.  Jan.  29,  '63. 

CHILDREN  OF  JOHN  AND  MARY  FRENCH  :  —  William,  b.  July  2,  1752  ; 
Mary,  b  Mar.  21,  '54  ;  John,  b.  Oct.  25,  '55  ;  Jonas,  b.  Aug.  17,  '57. 

*  The  reader  will  notice  the  large  number  of  children  in  the  families,  and  will 
naturally  inquire  why  it  is  not  so  at  present.  Is  the  blood  of  the  Pilgrims  to 
become  extinct  ? 


BIRTHS  IN  DUNSTABLE. 


271 


CHILDREN  OF  JOSIAH  AND  JEMIMA  BLODGETT  :  —  Josiah,  b.  Nov. 
28,  1737  ;  William,  b.  Jan.  25,  '38  ;  Jonathan,  b.  May  16,  '43  ;  David,  b. 
Dec.  16,  '44;  Bridget,  b.  Dec.  31,  '46;  Jacob,  b.  Jan.  8,  '48;  John,  b. 
Feb.  I,  '50;  Zebulon,  b.  Jan.  29,  '53;  Sarah,  b.  Apr.  13,  '55  ;  Lydia,  b. 
Oct.  i,  '58  ;  Jemima,  b.  Feb.  8,  '60  ;  William,  b.  March  3,  '62  ;  Abigail, 
b.  Sept.  4,  '64. 


HOMESTEAD  OK    THE    BLODGETT    FAMILY. 


CHILDREN  OF  JOSIAH  AND  OLIVE  BLODGETT  :  —  Ezra,  b.  July  9, 1763  ; 
Thaddeus,  b.  June  8,  '67  ;  Frederick,  b.  Oct.  17,  '75  ;  Josiah  Warren,  b. 
Nov.  9,  '79- 

CHILDREN  OF  SAMUEL  AND  SUSANNAH  TAYLOR  :  —  Samuel,  b.  Oct. 

13,  1734  ;  Reuben,  b.  Mar.  8,  '36  ;  Susannah,  b.  Nov.  28,  '37  ;  Jonas,  b. 
Nov.  30,  '39  ;  Lucy,  b.  Apr.  4,  '42  ;  Thaddeus,  b.  Apr.  10,  '44 ;  Oliver, 
b.  June   i,  '46  ;  Rachel,  b.   May  11,  '48  ;  Mary,  b.  Jan.  17,  '49  ;  Isaac,  b. 
June  13,  '53  ;  Samuel,  b.  Mar.  20,  '56. 

CHILDREN  OF  JOSEPH  AND  DEBORAH  PARKHURST  : — Sarah,  b.  May 

14,  1753  ;  Joseph,  b.  Apr.    16,  '56  ;  Mary,  b.  Aug.  21,  '58;  Ebenezer,  b. 
May  5.  '61  ;  Esther,  b.  Aug.  10,  '64. 

CHILDREN  OF  LEONARD  AND  JOANNA  BUTTERFIELD  :  —  Sarah,  b.  Feb. 
26,  1768. 

By  his  second  wife,  OLIVE  :  —  Leonard,  b.  Feb.  28,  1772;  Olive,  b. 
Apr.  19,  '73  ;  John,  b.  Dec.  i,  '76  ;  Sarah,  b.  May  5,  '79;  Catharine,  b. 
Jan.  18,  '81. 

CHILDREN  OF  JOHN  AND  HANNAH  KENDALL  :  —  Hannah,  b.  Aug.  29, 


272  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l8/3 

^747  5  John,  b.  Feb.  6,  '49 ;  the  twins,  b.  and  d.  July  7,  '50  ;  Deborah,  b. 
May  13,  '51  ;  Relief,  b.  May  9,  '53;  Zebedce,  b.  June  6,  '55;  Alice,  b. 
May  10,  '57. 

CHILDREN  OF  DAVID  AND  HANNAH  TAYLOR:  —  Hannah,  b.  May  23, 
1753  5  Sybil,  b.  Apr.  9,  '55  ;  Catharine,  b.  Sept.  3,  '57  ;  Olive,  b.  Nov.  9, 
'60  ;  Sarah,  b.  Jan.  9,  '64. 

CHILDREN  OF  THK  REV.  JOSIAH  AND  ELIZABETH  GOODHUE  :  — Josiah, 
b.  Jan.  17,  1759;  Joseph,  b.  Sept.  16,  '62;  Elizabeth,  b.  Apr.  5,  '65; 
Ebenezer,  b.  Aug.  12,  '67 ;  Samuel  Bartlett,  b.  Feb.  22,  '70. 

CHILDREN  OF  TEMPLE  AND  ABIGAIL  KENDALL  :  —  Abigail,  b.  Mar. 

19,  1758;  Elizabeth,  b.  Feb.  8,  '60  ;  Isaac,  b.  Jan.  9,  '62  ;  Zimri,  b.  Sept. 

20,  '63  ;  Nathaniel,  b.  Feb.  22,  '66 ;  Temple,  b.  May  28,  '68 ;  Rhoda,  b. 
Apr.  6,  '70  ;  Olive,  b.  Sept.  25,  '72  ;  Jeremiah,  b.  Aug.  28,  '74  ;  James,  b. 
Oct.  26,  '78. 

CHILDREN  OF  JACOB  AND  ELIZABETH  KENDALL  :  —  Jacob,  b.  March 
30,  1762  ;  Elizabeth,  b. ;  Susannah,  b. ;  Esther, b. ;  Ben- 
jamin, b. ;  Jonas,  b.  Sept.  16,  1772. 

CHILDREN  OF  EDWARD  KENDALL  [brother  of  the  above]  and  his  w. 
SARAH  :  — John,  b.  Feb.  5,  1763  ;  Sarah,  b.  June  8,  '65  ;  Anna,  b.  Jan.  8, 
'68 ;  Josiah,  b  Oct.  16,  '69  ;  Ezra,  b.  Mar.  14,  '72  ;  David,  Oct.  31,  '73 ; 
Deborah,  b.  Jan.  2,  '76  ;  Lucy,  b.  Mar.  12,  '78. 

CHILDREN  OF  ELIJAH  AND  LUCY  ROBBINS  :  —  Lucy,  b.  Sept.  8,  1760  ; 
Betsy,  b.  Sept.  19,  '61  ;  Elijah,  b.  Aug.  I,  '63  ;  Jotham,  b.  May  5,  '65  ; 

Willard,  b.  Mar.  9,  '68  ;  Henry,  b.  Oct.  14,  '71  ;  Mary,  b. ;  Khoda, 

b.  Sept.  11,  '73. 

CHILDREN  OF  ASA  AND  SARAH  KENDALL  :  —  Sarah,  b.  Sept.  4,  1760  ; 
Asa,  b.  May  27,  '62  ;  Catharine,  b.  Apr.  28,  '64  ;  Benjamin,  b.  Nov.  27, 

'65  ;  Mary,  b.  Dec.  29,  '66 ;  Pierpont,  b. ;  Oliver,  b. ;  Joseph, 

b.  Aug.  17,  1775. 

CHILDREN  OF  THOMAS  AND  RACHEL  FLETCHER  :  —  Thomas,  b.  Mar. 
19,  1762;  Nathaniel,  b.  Feb.  5,  '64;  Rachel,  b.  Oct.  28,  '65  ;  David,  b. 
Nov.  6,  '67  ;  Elizabeth,  b.  Nov.  8,  '69  ;  Rebeckah,  b.  Nov.  30,  '71,  d.  Apr. 

5,  '85  ;  Francis,  b.  July  27,  '77,  d.  Oct.  7,  '78  ;  Rebeckah,  b.  Aug.  7,  '79  ; 
Patty,  b. 26,  '81  ;  Francis,  b. 20,  '88. 

CHILDREN  OF  JOEL  PARKHURST  AND  WIFE  BETTY  :  —  Leonard,  b. 
Aug.  4,  1763  ;  William,  b.  Sept.  12,  '65  ;  Betty,  b.  Jan.  21,  '68  ;  Catharine, 
b.  Mar.  14,  '70  ;  Lucy,  b.  Aug.  16,  '73;  •  Rebeckah,  b.  Aug.  15,  '75. 

CHILDREN  OF  AMAZIAH  AND  ELIZABETH  SWALLOW  :  —  Elizabeth,  b. 
May  18,  1760  ;  Rebeckah,  b.  Dec.  4,  '63,  d.  Aug.  17,  '65  ;  Ruth,  b.  July 

22,  '65  ;  Asa,  b.  "May  i,  '67 ;  Rebeckah,  b. ;  Abraham,  b.  Dec.  14, 

'70 ;  Deborah,  b.  Dec.  14,  '73  ;  Kendall,  b.  Apr.  2,  '75  ;  Mary.  b.  Dec.  30, 

'77- 

CHILD  OF  JONATHAN  AND  HANNAH   EMERSON  :  —  Jonathan,  b.  Jan. 

6,  I773- 


1 8/3]  BIRTHS  IN  DUNSTABLE.  2/3 

CHILDREN  OF  ABEL  AND  SUSANNAH  SPAULDING  :  -K-  Joel,  b.  Dec.  13, 
1761  ;  Josiah,  b.  Feb.  27,  '64. 

By  his  wife  LYDIA  :  —  Susannah,  b.  Oct.  i,  1768;  Lydia,  b.  Mar.  22, 
'70  ;  Sarah,  b.  June  19,  '77  ;  Tamer,  b.  Oct.  29/79  ;  Abel,  b.  Apr.  28,  '83. 

CHILD  OF  EBENEZER  AND  SARAH  FRENCH  :  —  Sarah,  b.  May  6, 
1767 

By  his  wife  SUSANNAH  :  —  Charlotte,  b.  Aug.  13,  1774  ;  John,  b.  Mar. 
IS-  '78. 

CHILDREN  OF  PETER  AND  PRUDENCE  SWALLOW  :  —  Nahum,  b.  June 

23,  1771  ;  Prudence,  b.  July  26,  '73  ;  Larnard,  b.  July  30,  '75  ;  Sarah,  b. 
Feb.  17,  '80. 

By  his  wife  SYBIL  :  — Archelaus,  b.  Jan.  10,  1784  ;  James,  b.  Oct.  23, 
'85  ;  Lucy,  b.  Nov.  10,  '87  ;  Moody,  b.  Nov.  5,  '89 ;  Abigail,  b.  Aug.  19, 
'92. 

CHILDREN  OF  EBENEZER,  JR.,  AND  SARAH  PROCTOR  :  —  Molly,  b. 
Nov.  28,  1768  ;  Cata,  b.  Apr.  26,  '70  ;  Sarah,  b.  Sept.  4,  '71. 

CHILDREN  OF  BENJAMIN  AND  JOANNA  SWALLOW  :  — David,  b.  Nov. 
5,  1771  ;  Joanna,  b.  Jan.  3,  '75  ;  Joanna,  b.  Sept.  22,  '81. 

CHILDREN  OF  JONAS  AND  ESTHER  BUTTERFIELD  :  —  Rebecca,  b. 
Oct.  i,  1768;  Jonas,  b.  May  24,  '73;  Esther,  b.  Apr.  12, '78;  John,  b. 
Apr.  1 6,  '80. 

CHILDREN  OF  ROBERT  AND  JENNY  DUNN: — Mary,  b.  Sept.  25, 
1772  ;  Rachel,  b.  Apr.  11,  '75. 

CHILDREN  OF  SAMUEL  AND  ELIZABETH  ROBY:  —  Samuel,  b.  Jan.  10, 
X773;  Joseph  W.,  b.  Oct.  22,  '74;  Charles,  b.  Aug.  7,  '82;  Ralph,  b. 
Aug.  24,  '85  ;  John  Swallow,  b.  Apr.  2,  '87  ;  Reuel,  b.  Oct.  20,  '88. 

CHILDREN  OF  EBENEZER  AND  ELIZABETH  BUTTERFIELD  :  —  Eliza- 
beth, b.  Jan.  20,  1763  ;  Reuben,  b.  Dec.  29,  '64  ;  Joseph,  b.  July  10,  '68  ; 
Mary,  b.  Aug.  8,  '70 ;  Sarah,  b.  Sept.  17,  '72. 

CHILDREN  OF  JONAS  AND  MARY  TAYLOR  :  — Jonas,  b. , ; 

Danforth,  b.  Oct.  30,  1769  ;  Mary,  b.  May  26,  '73  ;  Abigail,  b.  Feb.  12, 
'75  ;  Abigail,  b.  May  30,  '80  ;  Jacob,  b.  Jan.  16,  '83. 

CHILDREN  OF  JOSEPH  JR.,  AND  CATE  FLETCHER  :  —  Molly  Cumings, 
b.  Sept.  15,  1775  ;  Isaac,  b.  Nov.  23,  '84  ;  Elizabeth  Underwood,  b.  Feb. 

24,  '90 ;  Caty,  b.  May  6,  '92  ;  Lucinda,  b.  Nov.  26,  '95. 
By  his  wife  ABIGAIL  :  —  Joseph,  b.  Sept.  14,  1798. 

CHILDREN  OF  OLIVER  AND  BRIDGET  TAYLOR  :  —  James,  b.  Nov.  2, 
1767  ;  Oliver,  b.  Aug.  9.  '70  ;  William,  b.  Sept.  22,  '72  ;  Susanna,  b.  July 
14,  '75  ;  Rebekah,  b.  Feb.  20,  '78  ;  Josiah,  b.  March  5,  '81  ;  Cyrus,  b. 
Apr.  i,  '85. 

By  his  wife  ABIGAIL:  —  William  Richardson,  b.  June  13,  1796;  Abi- 
gail, b.  Jan.  20,  '98. 

CHILDREN  OF  JOSEPH  AND  SYBIL  SPAULDING: — Benajah,  b.  July  3, 
1766  ;  Rhoda,  b.  June  22,  '68  ;  Squire*  b.  July  5,  '71. 

By  his  wife  AGNES  :  —  Squire,  b.  Oct.  26,  1799. 
18 


274  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 

CHILDREN  OF  SIMEON  AND  SARAH  CUMMINGS  :  —  Simeon,  b.  Sept. 
18,  1766;  Jeremiah,  b.  Nov.  23,  '68;  Sarah,  b.  Feb.  20,  '71  ;  Elizabeth, 
b.  July  6,  '73 ;  Rachel,  b.  Oct.  10,  '75  ;  Polly,  b.  June  18,  '78 ;  Betty,  b. 
Dec.  9,  'So  ;  Rachel,  b.  Apr.  30,  '83  ;  Lydia,  b.  Mar.  21,  '86  ;  Asenath, 
b.  July  26,  '88. 

CHILDREN  OF  JONATHAN  AND  SARAH  WOODWARD  :  —  Patty,  b.  Aug. 
7,  1766;  John,  b.  Sept.  25,  '67  ;  Sarah,  b.  Aug.  16,  '69;  Molly,  b.  Feb. 
16,  '73  ;  Jonathan,  b.  Jan.  i,  '75  ;  Timothy,  b.  Jan.  it,  '80. 

CHILDREN  OF  ELEAZER  AND  ABIGAIL  FRENCH  :  —  Abigail,  b.  Nov. 
6,  '757  ;  Jonathan,  b.  Mar.  12,  '69. 

CHILDREN  OF  TIMOTHY  AND  SUSANNAH  READ  :  —  Susannah,  b.  Dec. 
20,  1761  ;  Sybil,  b.  Apr  6,  '63;  Timothy,  b.  Aug.  5,  '65  ;  Isaac,  b.  Mar. 
23,  '67  ;  Mary,  b.  Oct.  14,  '68  ;  Rebeckah,  b.  Aug.  5,  '70  ;  Catharine,  b. 
Mar.  6,  '73 ;  William,  b.  Jan.  30,  '75  ;  Sybil,  b.  Mar.  IF,  '81. 

CHILDREN  OF  LEMUEL  AND  MARY  PEKHAM  :  —  Rebeckah,  b.  Feb. 
23,  1760  ;  Elizabeth,  b.  Oct.  8,  '62  ;  Lemuel,  b.  Oct.  7,  '64  ;  Silas,  b.  Feb. 
10,  '70;  Rachel,  b.  Aug.  17,  '71  ;  Josiah,  b.  May  i,  '73. 

CHILDREN  OF  DR.  EBENEZER  AND  HANNAH  STARR  :  —  Rebecca,  b. 
June  8,  1777  ;  James  Blanchard,  b.  Nov.  27,  '78  ;  Ebenezer,  b.  Feb.  18, 
'80 ;  Hannah,  b.  Jan.  26,  '82 ;  John,  b.  Dec.  30,  '83  ;  Edward,  b.  July 
29,  '86. 

CHILDREN  OF  MOSKS  AND  MIRIAM  HARDY  :  —  Betty,  b.  Aug.  20, 

1771  ;  Lydia,  b. , ;  Job,  b. , ;  Daniel,  b.  July  11, 

'73 ;  Jesse,  b.  Aug.  22,  '77  ;  William,  b.  Feb.  13.  '80 ;  Simeon,  b.  Aug.  i, 
'82  ;  Hannah,  b.  June  28,  '85  ;  Polly,  b.  July  5,  '87. 

CHILDREN  OF  LT.  JONATHAN  AND  MARY  EMERSON:  —  Lucinda,  b. 
Nov.  3,  1778  ;  Polly,  b.  June  19,  '80  ;  Rachel,  b.  Oct.  6,  '81  ;  Allen,  b. 
Apr.  19,  '82  ;  Jonathan,  b.  Sept.  29,  '84. 

CHILDREN  OF  PHILIP  AND  MARY  BUTTERFIELD  :  —  Philip,  b.  Feb. 
25j  T779?  Polly,  b.  Apr.  17,  '82;  Ebenezer,  b.  Aug.  18,  '86;  Joseph 
Parkhurst,  b.  Apr.  21,  '89;  Asenath,  b.  June  28,  '90  ;  Rhoda,  b.  Apr.  27, 
'93 ;  James,  b.  Jan.  29,  '96 ;  Frederick,  b.  Apr.  23,  '99. 

CHILDREN  OF  ELEAZER  AND  RACHEL  READ  :  —  Rachel,  b.  June  4, 
1770;  Rhoda,  b.  Nov.  26,  '72  ;  Caleb,  b.  Aug.  7,  '75  ;  Leonard,  b.  Apr.  4, 
'77  ;  Rebecca,  b.  Mar.  5.  '79 ;  Betty,  b.  Dec.  — , . 

CHILDREN  OF  SAMUEL,  JR.,  AND  RUTH  TAYLOR  :  —  Ruth,  b.  May  17, 
1779,  d.  July  4,  1779;  Ruth,  b.  June  27,  '80;  Elizabeth,  b.  Feb.  8, '83 ; 
Edee,  b.  Apr.  19,  '85  ;  Rhoda,  b.  Aug.  25,  '87 ;  Samuel,  b.  Feb.  16,  '90  ; 
William,  b.  July  23,  '92  ;  Luther,  b.  July  18,  . 

CHILDREN  OF  JONATHAN  AND  LUCY  FLETCHER  :  —  Elizabeth  ;  Leon- 
ard ;  Jonathan;  Sarah;  Samuel;  William,  b.  Aug.  29,  1772;  Lucy,  b. 
Aug.  30,  '74;  Susannah,  b.  June  6,  '76;  Joseph,  b.  Nov.  7,  '77. 

CHILDREN  OF  GERSHOM  AND  SARAH  PROCTOR  :  —  Sarah,  b.  June  27, 
1782;  Gershom,  b.  Sept.  9,  '83,  d. -Oct.  I  same  year;  Abigail,  b.  Mar.  6, 
'85  ;  John,  b.  Jan.  22,  '87  ;  Gershom,  b.  Oct.  15,  '88. 


1873]  BIRTHS  IN  DUNSTABLE.  2/5 

By  wife  POLLY  :  — Amos,  b.  July  16,  1793  ;  William,  b.  Oct.  13,  '95  ; 
Rhoda,  b  Jan.  30,  '98;  Mary,  b.  Nov.  14,  1804. 

CHILDREN  OF  CAPT.  OLIVER  AND  SYBIL  CUMMINGS  :  —  Oliver,  b. 
July  12,  1757  ;  James,  b.  May  26,  '59;  Josiah,  b.  Jan.  12,  '63 ;  Nathaniel, 
b.  June  20,  '67  ;  Sybil,  b.  Aug.  14,  '73. 

CHILD  OF  LT.  JOHN  AND  SUSANNAH  CHENEY  :  —  Luther,  b.  July  7, 

1775- 

By  ELIZABETH,  second  wife  : — Sarah,  b.  Feb.  25,  1778;  Rebecca,  b 
Apr.  3.  '79 ;  Isaac,  b.  Sept.  23,  '80  ;  Abigail,  b.  Aug  6,  '82. 

By  ELIZABETH,  third  wife: — Betsey,  b.  Oct.  31,  1790;  Kendall,  b. 
May  1 6,  '92  ;  Rhoda,  b.  Dec.  17,  1800. 

CHILDREN  OF  ABRAHAM  AND  ANNA  SWALLOW  :  —  Rhoda,  b.  Sept. 
30,  1791;  Abraham,  b.  Jan.  19/95;  Mary,  b.  May  20,  '97;  Calvin,  b. 
Apr.  20,  '99;  Luther,  b-  May  18,  1801  ;  Sarah,  b.  Aug.  31,  '03. 

CHILDREN  OF  JOHN  AND  HULDAH  INGALLS  : — John,  b.  June  8, 
1774  ;  Mary,  b.  July  15,  '76  ;  Joseph,  b.  Apr.  i,  '78. 

By  wife  ABIGAIL  :  —  Eleazer  French,  b.  Nov.  30,  1782  ;  Joel,  b.  Sept. 
27,  '84  ;  Daniel,  b.  Oct.  6,  '88;  James,  b.  July  6,  '91  ;  Sarah,  b.  Nov.  13, 

'93- 

CHILDREN  OF  ZEBEDEE  AND  MOLLY  KENDALL  :  —  Zebedee,  b.  Nov. 
24,  1780;  Samuel,  b.  Feb.  2, '82 ;  Abraham,  b.  Jan.  12,  '84;  Molly,  b. 
Oct.  17, '85  ;  George  Minot,  b  Sept.  24,  '87;  Amos,  b.  Aug.  16, '89; 
John,  b.  Nov.  3,  '91  ;  Hannah,  b.  Dec.  30,  '93  ;  Isaac,  b.  Nov.  25,  '95  ; 
Sarah,  b.  Jan.  25,  '98  ;  Isaac,  b.  Aug.  13,  '99 ;  Timothy,  b.  July  16,  1802. 

CHILDREN  OF  DR.  MICAH  AND  SALLY  (BUTTRICK)  ELDREDGE  :  — 
Hezekiah,  b.  (in  Princeton)  Feb.  6,  1798;  Sally,  b.  (in  Dunstable)  June  I, 
1800  ;  Almira,  b.  Feb.  17,  '02  ;  Erasmus  Darwin,  b.  Mar.  10,  '04  ;  Horace 
Whiton,  b.  Dec.  19,  '05  ;  Olney,  b.  Nov.  12,  '07 ;  Frederic  Augustus,  b. 
Mar.  25,  '10  ;  Clifton  Buttrick,  b.  Apr.  20,  '12  ;  Micah  Rhodolphus,  b. 
July  16,  '15  ;  Mary  Abigail,  b.  June  13,  '18  ;  Lucius  Owen,  b.  Mar.  20, 
'20  ;  Wilburn  Franillo,  b.  Nov.  17,  '22. 

CHILDREN  OF  REV.  SAMUEL  H  AND  RACHEL  TOLMAN  :  —  Elizabeth 
Damon,  b.  Aug.  13,  1820;  Samuel  H.,  b.  July  28,  '22;  Lucy  Damon,  b. 
Mar.  13,  '24  ;  Samuel  H.,  b.  Aug.  21,  '26. 

CHILDREN  OF  JASPER  POPE  AND  MARY  PROCTOR: — Josiah  Cum- 
mings,  b.  Aug.  9,  1817  ;  Jasper  Pope,  b.  June  4,  '19;  Mary  Ann,  b.  Nov. 
8,  '21  ;  Dexter  Putnam,  b.  Apr.  14,  '24  ;  Henry  Oratius,  b.  Jan.  7,  '28. 

CHILDREN  OF  THE  REV.  LEVI  AND  MARY  BRIGHAM  :  —  Eliza  Cath- 
arine, b.  Feb.  — ,  1839 ;  Mary  Louisa,  b.  June  25,  '40 ;  Edward  Dexter,  b. 
Oct.  4,  '41  ;  Abby  Ann,  b.  Oct.  13,  '44. 

CHILDREN  OF  EBENEZER  AND  ELIZABETH  PROCTOR  :  —  John,  b.  July 
14,  1748  ;  Jonathan,  b.  Mar.  15,  '51  ;  Gershom,  b.  Dec.  3,  '53. 

CHILDREN  OF  JEREMIAH  AND  MARY  CUMMINGS  :  —  Mary,  b.  Nov. 
16,  1760;  Jeremiah,  b.  Oct.  17,  '69. 

CHILDREN  OF  PETER  AND  PRUDENCE  SWALLOW.  —  Nahum,  b.  June 


276  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE,  [1873 

23,  1771  ;  Prudence,  b.  July  26,  '73  ;  Larnard,  b.  July  30,  '75  ;  Larnard, 
b.  June  1 8,  '77  ;  Sarah,  b.  Feb.  17,  '80. 

By  his  wife  SYBIL:  —  Archelaus,  b.  Jan.  10,  1784;  James,  b.  Oct.  23, 
'85  ;  Lucy,  b.  Nov.  10,  '87  ;  Moody,  b.  Nov  5,  '89 ;  Ahijah,  b.  Aug.  19,  '92. 

CHILDREN  OF  ISAAC  AND  SARAH  TAYLOR  :  —  Sarah,  b.  Aug.  22, 
1777  5  Isaac,  b.  May  19,  '80  ;  Deborah,  b.  May  13,  '83  ;  Lucy,  b.  Oct.  19, 
'86;  Lydia,  b.  Apr.  23,  '89. 

CHILDREN  OF  PHINEHAS  AND  ANNA  FLETCHER: — Anna,  b.  Oct. 
29,  1784  ;  Sewall,  b  Oct.  19,  '86 ;  Mark,  b.  Aug.  19,  '88  ;  Mark,  b.  Sept. 
14,  '90  ;  Betsy,  b.  Oct.  2,  '92  ;  Charlotte,  b  May  19,  '94. 

By  his  wife  ALICE  :  —  Indiane,  b.  Dec.  13.  1796  ;  Sally  Ames,  b.  Oct. 
15, '98;  Sally  Ames,  b.  Nov.  2,  '99  ;  Lucy,  b.  Sept.  18,  1801  ;  Jane,  b. 
Mar.  12,  '04. 

CHILDREN  OF  JONAS  AND  BETTY  FRENCH  :  —  Polly,  b.  Mar.  14, 
1781  ;  Jonas,  b.  Aug.  12,  '82  ;  William,  b.  June  5,  '89  ;  John,  b.  Mar.  9,  '95. 

CHILDREN  OF  CAPT.  JOSIAH  AND  SARAH  CUMMINGS  :  —  Sally,  b. 
Nov.  25,  1785  ;  Olive,  b.  Aug.  20,  '97  ;  Josiah  Taylor,  b.  Dec.  29.  1801. 

CHILD  OF  EDWARD  AND  ANNA  DUNN:  —  William,  b.  Mar.  5,  1787. 

CHILDREN  OF  ENS.  JAMES  AND  CHARLOTTE  CUMMINGS  :  —  James, 
b.  Jan.  26,  1780  ;  Charlotte,  b.  May  13,  '83  ;  Israel  Whitney,  July  25,  '85  ; 
Polly,  b.  Sept.  18,  '87. 

By  his  wife  SARAH  :  — 

Sally,  b.  Aug.  16,  1789 ;  Isaac,  b.  Mar.  3,  '91  ;  Betsey,  b.  Apr.  16,  '93  ; 
Lucinda.  b.  Jan.  28,  '95  ;  Rhoda,  b.  Nov.  23,  '96  ;  Sybil,  b.  June  20,  '98  ; 
Oliver,  b.  Feb.  6,  1801  ;  Loraine,  b.  Nov.  17,  '02  ;  Allen,  b.  Oct.  18.  '04. 

CHILDREN  OF  JONATHAN  AND  REBECKAH  PROCTOR:  —  Jonathan,  b. 
Nov.  22,  1785  ;  Rebeckah,  b.  Feb.  6,  '90  ;  Jasper  Pope,  b.  Feb.  28,  '93. 

CHILDREN  OF  LEONARD  AND  HANNAH  PARKHURST  :  —  Betty  Cu- 
mings,  b.  Nov.  10,  1791  ;  Henry,  b.  June  17,  '93  ;  Sophy,  b.  Mar.  5,  '95  ; 
John,  b.  Dec.  4,  '96  ;  Hannah,  b.  Aug.  I.  '98  ;  Leonard,  b.  June  16,  1800  ; 
Sally,  b.  July  3,  '02  ;  Rebecca,  b.  May  18,  '04  ;  Catharine,  b.  Feb.  2.  '07. 

CHILDREN  OF  LIEUT.  ZEBULON  AND  MARY  BLODGETT  :  —  Zebulon, 
b.  Nov.  2,  1797  ;  Mary.  b.  July  9.  1800. 

CHILDREN  OF  JOSEPH  AND  CATHARINE  PARKHURST  :  —  Kate,  b.  Mar. 

24,  1779;  Hannah,  b.  Oct.  16,  '80;  Rhoda,  b.  Jan  12,  '83  ;  Silas,  b.  Oct. 
2,  '84;  Fanny,  b.  July  30,  '86;    Sally,  b.  Feb.  8,  '89;  Sybil,  b.  Sept.  n, 
'91  ;  Rebekah,  b.  Apr.  7,  '94. 

Children  of  the  second  wife,  SYBIL  :  — Abigail,  b.  July  21,  1801  ;  Polly, 
b.  Nov.  3,  '02  ;  Deborah,  b.  — ,  . 

CHILDREN  OF  TEMPLE  AND  PRUDENCE  KENDALL  :  —  Peter,  b.  Oct. 
H,  1793;  Rebeckah,  b.  Dec.  10,  '95  ;  Charles,  b.  Dec.  II,  '97;  Abigail, 
b.  Mar.  31,  1800;  Prudence,  b.  May  26,  '02;  Isaac,  b.  Sept.  22,  '04; 
James,  b.  Oct.  2,  '06  ;  Sarah,  b.  Aug.  18,  '08  ;  Madison,  b.  July  30,  '10  ; 
Cummings  and  Stiles  (twins),  b.  Sept.  21,  '12  ;  Rhoda,  b.  Mar.  10,  '14; 
Lavina,  b.  Nov.  6,  '15  ;  Andrew  Temple,  b.  July  21,  '18. 


1  8/3] 


BIRTHS  7Ar  DUNSTABLE. 


CHILDREN  OF  JONAS  AND  HANNAH  TAYLOR  :  —  Hannah,  b.  Mar.  20 
1797  ;  Frederick,  b.  Nov.  12,  '98  ;  Hannah,  b.  June  18,  1800  ;  Jefferson,  b. 
Jan.  n,  '02  ;  Roxana,  b.  May  10,  '04. 

CHILDREN  OF  SILAS  AND  REBECKAH  JOHNSON  :  —  Ephraim,  b.  Apr.  22, 
1790  ;  Lucy,  b.  Sept.  14,  '91  ;  Abel,  b.  Nov.  i,  '93  ;  Jesse,  b.  May  3,  '97. 

CHILDREN  OF  ENS.  SAMUEL  AND  RHODA  FLETCHER  :  —  Rhoda,  b. 
Dec  24,  1796  ;  James  Kendall,  b.  Nov.  2,  '99  :  Susanna,  b.  Apr.  3,  1809. 

CHILDREN  OF  PETER  AND  SARAH  BLOOD  :  —  Sarah,  b.  Mar.  7,  1791  ; 
Jesse,  b.  Jan.  13,  '93  ;  James,  b.  Feb.  3,  95  ;  Levi,  b.  Oct.  30,  '97  ;  Luther, 
b.  Feb.  3,  1801  ;  Susan,  b.  Oct.  4,  '04  ;  Eli,  b.  Apr.  24,  '08. 

CHILDREN  OF  CAPT.  JONAS  AND  OLIVE  KENDALL  :  —  Susanna,  b. 
Apr.  15,  1797  ;  Chiles,  b.  Dec.  29,  '98  ;  Olive  Catharine  Butterfield,  b. 
Sept.  4,  1801  ;  Jonas,  b.  Feb.  5,  '04  ;  Sarah,  b.  March  10,  '06  ;  Elizabeth, 
b.  Sept.  i,  '07  ;  Elmna.  b.  Feb.  2,  'n  ;  Amanda,  b.  Feb.  8,  '14. 

CHILDREN  OF  CALEB  AND  ABIGAIL  WOODS  :  —  Henry,  b.  June  8, 
1790;  Nabby,  b.  Apr.  4,  '92;  Hannah,  b.  Jan.  24,  '94;  Jeptha,  b.  in 
Groton,  Mar.  25,  '96;  Matilda,  b.  in  Groton,  Feb.  27,  '98;  Deborah,  b.  in 
Dunstable,  Nov.  14,  1801  ;  Maria,  b.  Aug.  14,  '03  ;  Rebecca,  b.  Aug. 
25,  '07  ;  Caleb,  b.  Oct.  16,  '09. 

CHILDREN  OF  JONATHAN  AND  JEMIMA  SWALLOW  :  —  Alice  ;  Lucinda; 
Jonathan,  b.  Feb.  18,  1793  ;  Clarinda,  b.  June  18,  '95  ;  Sophrona,  b.  Jan. 

30,  '99;  John  Wilson,  b.  Apr.  18,  1803  ;  Sarah,  b.  Sept.  3,  '06. 
CHILDREN  OF  ASA  AND  SUSANNA  SWALLOW  :  —  Kendall,  b.  June  14, 

1792  ;  Susanna,  b.  Sept.  23,  '94  ;  Asa,  b.  Apr.  3,  '96  ;  Laura,  b.  July  25, 
'98  ;  Ruel.  b.  Oct.  u,  1801  ;  Bera,  b.  Apr.  10,  '06;  Maria,  b.  Jan.  6,  'u. 

CHILDREN  OF  LEONARD  AND  MARY  BUTTERFIELD  :  —  Polly,  b.  Oct. 
3,  1797  ;  Leonard,  b.  Mar.  4,  '99;  Asa,  b.  Aug.  7,  1801;  Sarah  and  Abi- 
gail (twins),  b.  Mar.  2,  '05;  Catharine,  b.  Mar.  4,  '09. 

CHILDREN   OF  ELIJAH  AND  REBECKAH    ROBBINS:  —  Elijah,  b.  July 

31,  1791;  Henry,  b.  Sept.  25,  '93;  Larnard,  b.  Mar.  10,  '96;  Emerson,  b. 
July  17,  '97;  Parlin,  b.  Apr.  21,  1802;  Damaris  Powers,  b.  Sept.  19,  '05; 
Desire,  b.  June  18,  '07;  Damaris  Powers,  b.  Dec.  9,  '08;  Albert,  b.  Dec. 
19,  '10;  Desire  Rhoda,  b.  Apr.  16,  '14. 

CHILDREN  OF  EBER  AND  SARAH  BLOOD:  —  Adah,  b.  Mar.  9,  1793; 
Isaac,  b.  Nov.  24,  '94,  d.  Dec.  25,  '94;  Nancy,  b.  June  5,  '97;  Ralph,  b. 
Nov.  13,  '99;  Allen,  b.  Jan.  19,  1803;  Lucy,  b.  Dec.  22,  '06;  Elizabeth,  b. 
May  29.  '09;  Rufus,  b.  June  28,  'u,  d.  Aug.  13,  '29,  aged  18. 

CHILDREN  OF  HENRY  AND  MARY  BLOOD  :  —  Henry,  b.  May  9,  1793, 
d.  July  19,  '93;  Mary,  b.  Mar.  24,  '96;  Henry,  b.  Oct.  u,  '98;  Charles,  b. 
Nov.  20,  1802;  Betsy,  b.  Jan.  i,  '05;  Miles,  b.  Dec.  2/07. 

CHILDREN  OF  CALEB  AND  SARAH  READ  :  —  Calvin,  b.  Jan.  20,  1798  ; 
James,  b.  March  30,  '99;  Rachel,  b.  Mar.  30,  1801. 

CHILDREN  OF  EBENEZER  AND  ELIZABETH  PARKHURST  :  —  Ebenezer, 
b.  Feb.  12,  1788;  Benajah,  b.  Sept.  14,  '94;  Jacob,  b.  Aug.  30,  '96; 
Americas,  b.  Apr.  17,  '99. 


278  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 


CHAPTER    XV. 

LETTERS.  —  WHAT  A  NEW  ENGLAND  TOWN  is. —  How  DUNSTABI.E  WAS 
FORMED.  —  EARLY  SETTLERS.  —  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS.  —  MODES  OF 
LIVING.  —  POPULATION.  —  ACTION  AFTER  DIVISION.  —  HEROISM.  —  LOVE- 
WKLL'S  FIGHT.  —  INDEPENDENCE.  —  TROOPS  RAISED.  —  CIVIL  WAR. — 
TOWN  MATTERS.  —  RELIGIOUS  TEACHING.  —  DISTINGUISHED  MEN.  —  AMOS 
KENDALL.  —  CONCLUSION. 

"  History,  to  be  instructive,  must  not  only  narrate  events,  but  state  the 
causes  which  produced  them.  Our  stock  of  wisdom  is  not  materially 
increased  by  being  told  that  an  event  transpired,  but  when  we  are  made 
acquainted  with  the  causes  which  brought  it  about,  we  have  acquired  val- 
uable information,  and  from  this  knowledge  of  the  past  we  can  reason 
with  tolerable  certainty  to  the  future."  CHARLES  HUDSON. 

"  Gone  are  those  great  and  good 
Who  here  in  peril  stood, 
And  raised  their  hymn. 
Peace  to  the  reverend  dead  ! 
The  light  that  on  their  head 
Two  hundred  years  have  shed 
'Shall  ne'er  grow  dim."  —  JOHN  PIERPONT. 

CORRESPONDENCE   IN   RESPECT  TO  THE   BI-CENTENNIAL  ADDRESS. 

DUNSTABLE,   MASS.,  Oct.  23,  1873. 

HON.  GEO.  B.  LORING, 

President  of  the  Senate  of  Mass.  : 

Dear  Sir,  —  Will  you  favor  us  for  publication  with  a  copy  of  your  address 
at  the  bi-centennial  celebration  of  the  incorporation  of  our  town  ?  By  so 
doing  you  will  confer  a  favor,  as  it  is  the  unanimous  expressed  wish  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  town  that  it  be  published. 

Very  truly  your  obt.  svt., 

JOSIAH  C.  PROCTOR, 

For  and  in  behalf  of  the 

Committee  of  Arrangements. 

MASSACHUSETTS  SENATE,  PRESIDENT'S  ROOM, 

BOSTON,  April  18,  1874. 

My  dear  Sir,  —  It  gives  me  pleasure  to  furnish  you  with  a  copy  of  my 
address  at  the  bi-centennial  celebration  of  the  incorporation  of  the  town 


i873l 


BI-CENTENN1AL   ORATION. 


2/9 


of  Dunstable.  The  occasion  will  long  be  remembered  by  me  as  a  manifes- 
tation of  the  veneration  in  which  the  people  of  the  town  of  Dunstable 
hold  their  pious  and  heroic  ancestors. 

Truly  yours,  etc., 

GEO.  B.  LORING. 
JOSIAH  C.  PROCTOR,  Esq., 

Chairman  of  Com.,  Dunstable,  Mass. 


ORATION   OF   HON.  GEORGE    B.    LORING,  SEPT.    17,   1873. 

MY  FRIENDS  AND  FELLOW-CITIZENS  :  — 

I  have  accepted  your  invitation  to  deliver  this  address  on  the  occasion 
of  the  second  centennial  anniversary  of  the  settlement  of  your  town,  with 
great  reluctance  and  many  misgivings.  I  cannot  expect  to  share  with  you 
all  those  hallowed  memories  which  spring  up  in  your  minds  and  warm 
your  hearts,  whose  homes  are  on  this  spot,  whose  ancestors  repose 
beneath  this  sod,  whose  hearthstones  are  here,  whose  eyes  have  beheld 
the  domestic  scenes  and  whose  hearts  have  felt  the  joys  and  sorrows 
which  make  up  the  story  you  would  most  gladly  hear  to-day.  To  you 
who  enjoy  this  spot  as  home,  the  church,  this  village  green  these  farm- 
houses, every  field  and  wooded  hill,  the  highway  and  the  by-path,  the 


28o  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [18/3 

valley  and  the  brook,  all  tell  a  tale  of  tender  interest,  to  you  who  remember 
the  events  of  childhood  here,  to  you  who  to-day  return  from  long  wander- 
ings, to  you  who  have  remained  and  have  brought  this  municipality  on  to 
an  honorable  era  in  its  history,  to  you  who  turn  aside  to  linger  over  the 
grave  of  a  beloved  parent,  and  to  you  who  still  pause  and  drop  a  tear  on 
that  little  mound  where  your  child  has  lain  so  long  and  from  which, 
through  all  the  years  that  have  passed  since  it  left  you,  its  sweet  voice 
has  been  heard,  reminding  you  of  your  duty  in  this  world  and  assuring 
you  of  the  peace  and  joy  of  the  world  to  come.  To  me,  indeed,  the 
domestic  record  of  this  town,  the  most  sacred  record  to  you,  is,  as  it  were, 
a  sealed  volume,  open  only  to  my  gaze  as  a  member  of  the  same  human 
family  with  yourselves,  and  as  one  feeling  that  common  sympathy  which 
binds,  as  with  a  silver  cord,  all  the  sons  of  God  into  one  great  brother- 
hood. While,  therefore,  I  cannot  intrude  upon  the  sacredness  of  your 
firesides,  nor  claim  a  seat  in  your  domestic  circle,  nor  expect  to  be  admitted 
within  the  railing  of  your  altar,  I  can  call  to  your  minds  those  events  in 
the  history  of  your  town  which  have  established  its  intimate  relations 
with  that  interesting  experiment  of  society  and  State  which  has  been 
worked  out  on  this  continent  during  the  last  two  hundred  years. 

WHAT   A   NEW   ENGLAND   TOWN   IS. 

In  celebrating  the  two  hundredth  anniversary  of  a  New  England  town, 
the  peculiar  and  extraordinary  nature  of  a  civil  organization  of  this  kind 
should  not  be  forgotten,  especially  by  those  who  enjoy  the  high  privileges 
which  belong  to  it.  To  many  nationalities  and  peoples  a  town  means 
nothing  more  than  a  cluster  of  houses  surrounded  by  a  wall  and  fortified, 
or  the  realm  of  a  constable,  or  the  seat  of  a  church  ;  but  to  us  in  New 
England  the  town  was  in  the  beginning,  as  it  is  now,  the  primary  organi- 
zation, sovereign  in  itself.  "  The  colonists  had  no  sooner  formed  a  settle- 
ment, and  erected  their  cabins  in  convenient  proximity  to  each  other, 
than  they  organized  themselves  into  a  town,  an  independent  municipality, 
in  which  every  citizen  had  a  voice  and  a  vote."  The  first  duty  of  these 
organizations,  in  the  minds  of  our  fathers,  was  the  establishment  of  a 
church  ;  and  the  erection  of  a  meeting-house  and  a  school-house  received 
their  earliest  care  and  attention.  It  is  remarkable  and  interesting  to  see 
how,  in  the  little  municipalities  of  New  England,  all  the  rights  of  citizen- 
ship were  cherished,  and  how  silently  and  unostentatiously  all  the  elements 
of  a  free  state  were  fixed  and  developed.  Starting  away  from  the  original 
colonies,  they  planted  themselves  in  the  wilderness,  and  assumed  at  once 
the  duty  of  independent  organizations.  Their  citizens,  in  town  meeting 
assembled,  had  the  control  of  all  matters  relating  to  their  civil  and  criminal 
jurisdiction.  "  In  the  New  England  colonies  the  towns  were  combined 
in  counties  long  after  their  establishment  and  representation  as  towns  ; 
so  that  the  county  here  was  a  collection  of  towns,  rather  than  the  town  a 
subdivision  of  a  county."  This  system  of  town  organization  is  maintained 


1873]  BI-CENTENNIAL    ORATION.  28l 

throughout  New  England  to  the  present  day,  constituting  one  of  the  most 
interesting  features  of  the  civil  polity  of  this  section  of  our  country.  Says 
Barry,  in  his  "  History  of  Massachusetts,"  "  Each  (town)  sustained  a 
relation  to  the  whole,  analogous  to  that  which  the  States  of  our  Union 
hold  respectively  to  the  central  power,  or  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States."  Says  Palfrey,  in  his  "  History  of  New  England,"  "  With  some- 
thing of  the  same  propriety  with  which  the  nation  may  be  said  to  be  a 
confederacy  of  republics  called  States,  each  New  England  State  may  be 
described  as  a  confederacy  of  minor  republics  called  towns."  Neither  in 
New  York,  with  its  great  landed  properties,  at  first  held  and  occupied  by 
a  kind  of  feudal  tenure,  and  afterwards  with  its  counties  ;  nor  in  the 
Western  States,  where  the  town  survey  carries  with  it  no  local  political 
authority ;  nor  in  the  South,  where  the  county  organization  is  the  one 
which  governs  local  matters,  can  be  found  that  form  of  self-government 
which  gives  to  the  New  England  towns  their  individuality,  and  which  has 
enabled  them  to  enroll  their  names  on  the  brightest  pages  of  American 
history.  How,  in  the  olden  time,  they  cherished  the  church  and  built  the 
meeting-house  ;  how  they  fostered  education  and  erected.the  school-house  ; 
how  they  selected  their  wisest  and  bravest  men  for  the  public  councils  ; 
how  they  resolved  for  freedom  in  open  town-meeting  ;  how  they  hurled 
defiance  at  the  oppressor,  and  sprang  up,  an  army  of  defiant  communities, 
each  one  feeling  its  responsibility,  and  ready  and  anxious  to  assume  it ! 
Would  you  study  the  valor  of  your  country  in  its  earlier  days  ?  Go  to  the 
town  records  of  New  England.  Would  you  learn  where  the  leaders  and 
statesmen  were  taught  their  lesson  of  independence  and  nationality?  Read 
the  recorded  resolves  of  the  New  England  towns.  The  origin  and  orga- 
nization of  these  New  England  towns  were  by  no  means  uniform.  In 
some  instances  they  were  founded  immediately  on  the  landing  of  the 
colonists,  out  of  lands  conferred  upon  them  by  their  charter.  In  other 
instances  they  were  made  up  by  grants  of  land  to  an  offshoot  from  the 
parent  colony,  whose  enterprise  consisted  in  organizing  a  new  town.  In 
other  instances  grants  of  land  were  made  from  time  to  time  to  individuals 
and  corporations  for  farms  and  other  purposes,  which  grants  were  after- 
wards consolidated  into  townships.  In  this  last  manner  grew  up  that  large 
town  organization  known  as  D  UNSTABLE.  It  occupied  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  sections  of  New  England.  "  To  the  great  Indian  tribes  the 
Merrimack  and  Nashua  Rivers  were  as  well  known  as  they  are  to  us. 
From  the  great  lake  of  New  Hampshire  to  the  sea  Tan  for  them  the  strong 
and  flashing  river,  whose  waters  abounded  with  fish  of  the  best  variety, 
and  whose  banks  were  diversified  with  warm  and  sunny  slopes,  fertile 
valleys,  and  tree-crowned  hills. 

"  To  the  white  explorers  these  lands  presented  great  attractions  ;  and 
so  in  1659  and  1660,  and  on  to  1673,  grants  of  land  were  made  in  these 
regions  from  time  to  time  to  the  explorers  Davis  and  Johnson,  to  Mrs. 
Anna  Lane,  to  John  Wilson,  to  the  town  of  Charlestown  for  a  '  School 


2g2  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 

Farm,'  to  John  Whiting,  to  Phinehas  Pratt  and  others,  to  Gov.  Endecott, 
to  Henry  Kimball.  to  Samuel  Scarlett,  to  Joseph  and  Thomas  Wheeler,  to 
the  '  Ancient  and  Honorable  Artillery  Company  of  Boston.'  and  to  others 
of  less  chivalry  and  less  note.  It  was  the  proprietors  of  these  farms  and 
others  disposed  to  settle  here,  who,  in  September,  1673,  presented  a 
petition  to  the  General  Assembly  that  they  might  be  '  in  a  way  for  the 
support  of  the  public  ordinances  of  God,'  for  without  which  the  greatest 
part  of  the  year  they  will  be  deprived  of,  the  farms  lying  so  far  remote 
from  any  towns."  The  petition  was  granted  upon  the  conditions  which 
were  then  universally  inserted  in  the  charters,  viz.,  "that  the  grantees 
should  settle  the  plantation,  procure  a  minister  within  three  years,  and 
reserve  a  farm  for  the  use  of  the  colony." 

HOW   DUNSTABLE   WAS    FORMED. 

The  township  of  Dunstable,  thus  chartered,  embraced  a  very  large 
tract,  probably  more  than  two  hundred  square  miles,  including  the  towns 
of  Nashua,  Nashville,  Hudson,  Hollis,  Dunstable,  and  Tyngsborough, 
besides  portions  of  the  towns  of  Amherst,  Milford,  Merrimac,  Litchfield, 
Londonderry,  Pelham,  Brookline,  Pepperell,  and  Townsend,  and  formed 
a  part  of  the  county  of  Middlesex.  It  extended  ten  or  twelve  miles 
west  of  Merrimack  River,  and  from  three  to  five  miles  east  of  it, 
and  its  average  length  north  and  south  was  from  twelve  to  fourteen 
miles.  The  present  city  of  Nashua  occupies  very  nearly  the  centre 
of  the  original  township.  In  1674,  because  there  was  "very  little  medo 
left  except  what  is  already  granted  to  the  ffarmers,"  the  easterly  line 
of  the  township  was  extended  to  Beaver  Brook  by  an  additional  grant 
from  the  General  Court,  and  the  town  was  called  Dunstable  It  received 
its  name  in  compliment  to  Mrs.  Mary  Tyng,  wife  of  Hon.  Edward 
Tyng,  one  of  the  magistrates  of  the  commonwealth  of  Massachusetts, 
who  came  from  Dunstable,  England.  This  extensive  tract  of  land,  thus 
incorporated  and  thus  named,  has  been  subjected  to  many  divisions. 
In  1731  the  inhabitants  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  petitioned  to  be  set 
off,  which  petition  was  granted,  and  a  new  town  was  created  by  the  As- 
sembly of  Massachusetts,  called  Nottingham.  In  1733  a  part  of  the  town 
lying  west  of  Merrimack  River  was  incorporated  into  a  township  by  the 
name  of  Rumford,  but  soon  after  was  called  Merrimac.  In  1734  Litch- 
field was  set  off  and  incorporated,  because  the  inhabitants  there  had,  as 
they  said,  "supported  a  minister  for  some  time."  In  1736  Hollis  was  set 
off  from  Dunstable  ;  and  in  1734  Amherst  was  settled  and  incorporated- 
In  1732  Townsend  was  incorporated,  taking  in  the  southerly  part  of  the 
town,  including  Pepperell.  Thus  township  after  township  had  become 
parcelled  out  from  the  original  body  of  "old  Dunstable,"  until  in  1740 
the  broad  and  goodly  plantation  was  reduced  to  that  portion  only  which  is 
now  embraced  within  the  limits  of  Nashua  and  Nashville,  Tyngsborough 
and  Dunstable.  At  length  the  boundary  line  between  New  Hampshire 


1873]  Bl-CENTENNIAL    ORATION.  283 

and  Massachusetts  was  established  in  1741,  severing  Dunstable  very 
nearly  in  the  middle,  and  leaving  the  town  of  Nashua  within  the  limits  of 
New  Hampshire.  To  the  township  of  Dunstable  in  Massachusetts,  where 
we  are  now  assembled,  have  since  been  added  portions  of  the  town  of 
Groton,  the  first  portion  having  been  set  off  Feb.  25, 1793.  and  the  second 
Feb.  15,  1820,  for  the  convenience  of  the  inhabitants,  and  that  the  bound- 
ary lines  might  be  straightened. 

EARLY    SETTLERS. 

Among  the  original  proprietors  of  this  land  we  find  the  names  of  many 
of  the  leading  men  in  the  colony,  some  of  whom,  with  the  children  and 
friends  of  others,  removed  here  and  took  up  their  abode  at  an  early  period. 
Of  this  number  we  find  Governor  Dudley,  who  married  a  daughter  of  Hon. 
Edward  Tyng,  of  this  town  ;  Rev.  Thomas  Weld,  who  was  the  first  min- 
ister, and  married  another  daughter ;  Thomas  Brattle,  Peter  Bulkely, 
Hezekiah  Usher,  Elisha  Hutchinson,  Francis  Cook,  and  others  who  were 
assistants  and  magistrates.  Many  of  the  first  settlers  belonged  to  Boston 
and  its  vicinity,  a  circumstance  which  gave  strength  and  influence  to  the 
infant  plantation. 

EARLY   MANNERS   AND   CUSTOMS. 

Of  the  motives  and  manners  and  customs  of  those  who  founded  this 
town  let  me  here  say  a  word.  They  formed  a  part  of  that  large  body  of 
Dissenters,  who,  under  various  names,  came  to  New  England  and  settled 
the  colonies  of  Plymouth  and  Massachusetts  Bay.  They  came,  it  is  true, 
to  enjoy  religious  freedom,  but  they  also  sought  a  civil  organization, 
founded  upon  the  right  of  every  man  to  a  voice  in  the  government  under 
which  he  lives.  In  the  charters  of  all  the  towns  granted  by  the  General 
Court,  it  was  provided  that  the  grantees  were  "  to  procure  and  maintain  an 
able  and  orthodox  minister  amongst  them,"  and  to  build  a  meeting-house 
within  three  years.  "  This  was  their  motive.  In  all  their  customs  they  were 
obliged  to  exercise  the  utmost  simplicity,  and  they  voluntarily  regulated 
their  conduct  by  those  formal  rules  which,  in  their  day,  constituted  the 
Puritan's  guide  through  the  world.  We  are  told,  as  an  illustration  of  their 
character  and  manners,  that  by  the  laws  of  the  colony  in  1651,  '"dancing 
at  weddings  "  was  forbidden.  In  1660  William  Walker  was  imprisoned  a 
month  "for  courting  a  maid  without  the  leave  of  her  parents."  In  1675, 
because  "there  is  manifest  pride  appearing  in  our  streets,"  the  wearing  of 
"  long  hair  or  periwigs,"  and  also  "  superstitious  ribands  "  used  to  tie  up  and 
decorate  the  hair,  were  forbidden  under  severe  penalties  ;  men,  too,  were 
forbidden  to  "keep  Christmas,"  because  it  was  a  "  Popish  custom."  In 
1677  an  act  was  passed  to  prevent  "  the  profaneness  "  of  "  turning  the  back 
upon  the  public  worship  before  it  is  finished  and  the  blessing  pronounced." 
Towns  were  directed  to  erect  "  a  cage  "  near  the  meeting-house,  and  in 
this  all  offenders  against  the  sanctity  of  the  Sabbath  were  confined. 


284  HISTORY  Of-'  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 

At  the  same  time  children  were  directed  to  be  placed  in  a  particular 
part  of  the  meeting-house,  apart  by  themselves,  and  tithing-men  were 
ordered  to  be  chosen,  whose  duty  it  should  be  to  take  care  of  them.  So 
strict  were  they  in  their  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  that  John  Atherton, 
a  soldier  of  Col.  Tyng's  company,  was  fined  by  him  forty  shillings  for 
"  wetting  a  piece  of  an  old  hat  to  put  into  his  shoes,"  which  chafed  his  feet 
upon  the  march  ;  and  those  who  neglected  to  attend  meeting  for  three 
months  were  publicly  whipped.  Even  in  Harvard  College  students  were 
whipped  for  grave  offences  in  the  chapel  in  the  presence  of  students  and 
professors,  and  prayers  were  had  before  and  after  the  infliction  of  the 
punishment  As  the  settlers  of  Dunstable  are  described  in  the  petition  as 
"  of  soberly  and  orderly  conversation,"  we  may  suppose  that  these  laws 
and  customs  were  rigidly  enforced. 

MODES   OF   LIVING. 

Perhaps  a  word  upon  the  subsistence  and  diet  of  your  ancestors  may 
interest  you  here.  Palfrey  tells  us  that  "in  the  early  days  of  New  England 
wheaten  bread  was  not  so  uncommon  as  it  afterwards  became,"  but  its 
place  was  largely  supplied  by  preparations  of  Indian  corn  A  mixture  of 
two  parts  of  the  meal  of  this  grain  with  one  part  of  rye  has  continued, 
until  far  into  the  present  century,  to  furnish  the  bread  of  the  great  body 
of  the  people.  In  the  beginning  there  was  but  a  sparing  consumption  of 
butcher's  meat.  The  multiplication  of  flocks  for  their  wool,  and  of  herds 
for  draught  and  for  milk,  was  an  important  care,  and  they  generally  bore 
a  high  money  value.  Game  and  fish  to  a  considerable  extent  supplied 
the  want  of  animal  food.  Next  to  these,  swine  and  poultry,  fowls,  ducks, 
geese,  and  turkeys,  were  in  common  use  earlier  than  other  kinds  of  flesh 
meat.  The  New-Englander  of  the  present  time,  who,  in  whatever  rank  of 
life,  would  be  at  a  loss  without  his  tea  or  coffee  twice  at  least  in  every 
day,  pities  the  hardships  of  his  ancestors,  who  almost  universally,  for  a 
century  and  a  half,  made  their  morning  and  evening  repast  on  boiled 
Indian  meal  and  milk,  or  a  porridge,  or  a  broth  made  of  pease  or  beans 
and  flavored  by  being  boiled  with  salted  beef  or  pork.  Beer,  however, 
which  was  brewed  in  families,  was  accounted  a  necessary  of  life,  and  the 
orchards  soon  yielded  a  bountiful  supply  of  cider.  Wine  and  rum  found 
a  ready  market  as  soon  as  they  were  brought  from  abroad  ;  and  tobacco 
and  legislation  had  a  long  conflict,  in  which  the  latter  at  last  gave  way. 

POPULATION. 

It  is  difficult  to  realize  how  feeble  and  few  were  the  colonists  at  the 
time  when  this  town  was  passing  out  of  its  confederation  of  farms  into  an 
organized  corporation.  There  were  then  probably  "  in  New  England 
from  forty  thousand  to  forty-five  thousand  English  people.  Of  this  num- 
ber twenty-five  thousand  may  have  belonged  to  Massachusetts,  ten  thou- 
sand to  Connecticut,  as  newly  constituted,  five  thousand  to  Plymouth,  and 


1873]  BI-CENTENNIAL   ORATION.  285 

three  thousand  to  Rhode  Island.  They  inhabited  ninety  towns,  of  which 
four  were  in  Rhode  Island,  twelve  in  Plymouth,  twenty-two  in  Connec- 
ticut, and  the  rest  in  Massachusetts.  .  .  .  Connecticut,  according  to 
the  account  sent  home  by  the  royal  commissioners,  had  many  scattering 
towns  not  worthy  of  their  names,  and  a  scholar  to  their  minister  in  every 
town  or  village.  In  Rhode  Island,  they  said,  were  the  best  English  grass 
and  most  sheep,  the  ground  very  fruitful,  ewes  bringing  ordinarily  two 
lambs,  corn  yielding  eighty  for  one,  and  in  some  places  they  had  had  corn 
twenty-six  years  together  without  manuring.  In  this  province  only  they 
had  not  any  places  set  apart  for  the  worship  of  God  ;  there  being  so  many 
subdivided  sects  they  could  not  agree  to  meet  together  in  one  pla'ce,  but, 
according  to  their  several  judgments,  they  sometimes  associated  in  one 
house,  sometimes  in  another.  In  Plymouth  it  was  the  practice  to  persuade 
men,  sometimes  to  compel  them,  to  be  freemen,  —  so  far  were  they  from 
hindering  any.  They  had  about  twelve  small  towns,  one  saw-mill  for 
boards,  one  bloomary  for  iron,  neither  good  river  nor  good  harbor,  nor 
any  place  of  strength  ;  they  were  so  poor  they  were  unable  to  maintain 
scholars  to  their  ministry,  but  were  necessitated  to  make  use  of  a  gifted 
brother  in  some  places.  The  commodities  of  Massachusetts  were  fish, 
which  was  sent  into  France,  Spain,  and  the  Straits,  pipe-staves,  masts, 
fir  boards,  some  pitch  and  tar,  pork,  beef,  horses,  and  corn,  which  they  sent 
to  Virginia,  Barbadoes,  etc.,  and  took  tobacco  and  sugar  for  payment,  which 
they  often  sent  for  England.  There  was  good  store  of  iron  made  in  the 
province.  In  the  Piscataqua  towns  were  excellent  masts  gotten,  .  .  . 
and  upon  the  river  were  above  twenty  saw-mills,  and  there  were  great 
stores  of  pipe-staves  made  and  great  store  of  good  timber  spoiled.  In 
Maine  there  were  but  few  towns,  and  those  much  scattered  ;  they  were 
rather  farms  than  towns.  In  the  Duke  of  York's  province  beyond  the 
Kennebec  there  were  three  small  plantations,  the  biggest  of  which  had 
not  above  thirty  houses  in  it,  and  those  very  mean  ones  too,  and  spread 
over  eight  miles  at  least.  Those  people  were,  for  the  most  part,  fisher- 
men, and  never  had  any  government  among  them ;  most  of  them  were 
such  as  had  fled  hither  to  avoid  justice.  In  Boston,  the  principal  town 
of  the  country,  the  houses  were  generally  wooden,  the  streets  crooked, 
with  little  decency  and  no  uniformity ;  and  there  neither  months,  days, 
seasons  of  the  year,  churches,  nor  rivers  were  known  by  their  English 
names".  At  Cambridge  they  had  a  wooden  college,  and  in  the  yard  a 
brick  pile  of  two  bayes  for  the  Indians,  where  the  commissioners  saw  but 
one.  They  said  they  had  three  more  at  school.  It  might  be  feared  this 
college  might  afford  as  many  schismatics  to  the  church  and  the  corpora- 
tion as  many  rebels  to  the  king,  as  formerly  they  had  done  if  not  timely 
prevented." 


286  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l8?3 


ACTION    OF   THE   TOWN   AFTER   THE    DIVISION    OF    MASSACHUSETTS    AND 
NEW    HAMPSHIRE. 

The  division  of  the  original  township  and  the  adjustment  of  the  bound- 
ary line  between  Massachusetts  and  New  Hampshire  by  no  means  removed 
all  the  difficulties  which  had  attended  the  course  of  the  town  thus  far. 
On  the  1 2th  of  March,  1743,  a  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of 
Ebenezer  Kendall,  not  only  "  to  raise  money  to  defray  yc  charges  of  said 
town,  and  to  support  y«  Gospell,"  but  also  "to  choose  a  committee  to 
treat  with  a  committee  in  the  District  of  Dunstable,  if  they  choose  one, 
to  examine  the  debts  and  credit  of  ye  town  and  to  know  how  they  stood 
before  the  line  was  run  between  ye  Province  of  Massachusetts  Bay  and 
New  Hampshire."  Deacon  John  Taylor,  Ebenezer  Farkhurst,  and  Capt. 
John  Cummings  were  the  committee.  A  large  part  of  the  business  of  the 
town  for  several  years,  at  the  time  I  refer  to,  consisted  in  running  lines, 
and  endeavoring  to  adjust  the  debts  and  claims,  interspersed  with  debates 
upon  building  meeting-houses  and  laying  out  burying-grounds.  Now  and 
then  a  young  and  ambitious  community,  which  had  started  off  and  set 
up  on  its  own  account,  expressed  a  desire  to  return  to  the  old  roof-tree; 
and  it  was  found  necessary  to  vote,  in  1743,  not  to  annex  Nottingham } 
which  had  been  set  off  but  twelve  years  previous.  The  places  for  public 
worship  seem  to  have  been  steadily  provided,  either  in  some  private 
house  or  barn,  or  in  a  building  erected  for  that  purpose.  Preaching  the 
people  would  have  at  any  rate.  Of  education,  I  cannot  say  quite  as  much. 
The  burden  was,  perhaps,  at  times,  a  little  too  heavy  for  that  primitive 
people,  and  so  in  1769  they  voted  not  to  raise  any  money  for  the  support 
of  a  school,  at  one  meeting,  but  at  another  they  voted  to  spend  £20  for  a 
school,  and  in  the  same  breath,  mindful  of  their  dangers  and  necessities, 
they  voted  £6  and  loj.  for  ammunition.  In  1771  they  raised  £24  fora 
school,  and  £60  for  the  highways.  In  1774  it  was  voted  not  to  raise 
money  for  schools.  But  in  the  midst  of  all  the  trials  and  the  impov- 
erishment of  the  Revolutionary  war,  they  voted,  March  5,  1778,  "to  raise 
and  be  assessed  ^50  for  the  support  of  a  school,"  recognizing  the  value 
of  a  cultivated  mind  in  a  community  assuming  the  duties  and  enjoying  the 
rights  of  a  free  people.  I  am  also  reminded  by  their  record  that  they 
intended  to  hold  their  public  servants  to  a  strict  accountability,  for  in 
1751  an  article  was  inserted  in  the  warrant  for  a  town  meeting,  "  To 
choose  a  committee  to  search  John  Stealls  account  as  town  treasurer  "  ; 
but  John  Steall,  in  spite  of  his  name,  turned  up  an  honest  man,  and  the 
article  was  dismissed  from  the  warrant. 

THE    HEROISM    OF   THE   TOWN. 

But  not  in  matters  relating  to  the  religious  and  civil  and  educational 
interests  of  the  town  alone  were  your  ancestors  engaged,  from  the  earliest 
settlement  in  1655  to  the  period  to  which  I  have  now  arrived.  The  lands 


18/3]  BI-CENTENNIAL   ORATION.  28/ 

were  too  fertile,  and  the  rivers  too  fair,  and  the  forests  too  well  stocked 
with  game,  to  be  abandoned  without  a  struggle  on  the  part  of  those  abo- 
riginal occupants  who  had  enjoyed  their  possession  for  many  generations. 
The  popular  rights  there  asserted,  as  the  town  grew  into  a  definite  civil 
organization,  were  not  to  be  established  without  a  blow ;  and  later  still, 
the  integrity  of  that  government  which  had  been  founded  at  such  a  vast 
expense  of  blood  and  treasure,  and  by  the  exercise  of  so  much  study, 
sagacity,  and  wisdom,  was  not  to  be  preserved  except  by  the  devotion  and 
valor  of  loyal  men  in  arms.  In  every  crisis  occurring  within  a  century 
and  three  quarters  of  its  existence  —  now  in  struggle  with  a  savage  foe, 
now  in  strife  against  the  tyrant  and  the  oppressor,  and  now  in  deadly  con- 
flict with  the  traitor  —  Dunstable  has  always  done  her  duty  well.  As  early 
as  July  5,  1689,  your  ancestors  were  called  to  arms  against  that  savage 
band  which,  having  attacked  Dover  and  having  killed  Major  Waldron  and 
his  men,  turned  their  bloody  attention  towards  this  town.  In  the  summer 
of  1691  this  attack  was  renewed,  and  in  the  month  of  September  of  that 
year,  one  hundred  and  eighty-two  years  ago,  the  entire  family  of  Joseph 
Hassell  was  slain,  —  the  first  sacrifice  offered  up  here  in  the  cause  of  civ- 
ilization,—  whose  simple  monument  has  long  since  been  obliterated  by  the 
hand  of  industry,  and  whose  sad  and  touching  story  alone  remains.  The 
town  now  became  a  garrison.  The  General  Court  granted  aid  for  the 
support  of  its  church,  and  made  a  liberal  abatement  of  its  State  tax.  Upon 
Jonathan  Tyng,  that  name  so  long  honored  and  beloved  here  and  so  con- 
spicuous for  generations  in  the  annals  of  our  country,  fell  the  duty  of  pre- 
serving the  very  existence  of  the  place,  as  commander  of  the  fortifications 
erected  to  protect  it.  That  this  war,  which  lasted  until  1698,  was  full  of 
thrilling  and  painful  incident  in  this  town,  we  have  every  reason  to  sup- 
pose, although  we  find  no  written  record,  and  the  tradition  was  long  ago 
forgotten  ;  but  we  do  know  that  here  Joe  English  performed  his  won- 
derful exploits,  and  that  Mrs.  Dustin,  who  was  captured  at  Haverhill,  and 
who  slew  her  captors,  ten  in  number,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Contoocook 
River,  found  her  first  refuge  as  she  wandered  down  the  valley  of  the  Mer- 
rimack  on  her  way  homeward,  in  the  house  of  old  John  Lovewell,  "  father 
of  worthy  Capt.  Lovewell,"  which  stood  on  the  side  of  Salmon  Brook,  a 
few  feet  northeast  of  the  Allds  Bridge.  When,  in  1703,  the  Indian  hos- 
tilities were  renewed,  and  the  General  Assembly  offered  ^40  for  every 
Indian  scalp,  it  was  Capt.  Jonathan  Tyng,  of  Dunstable,  who  first  accepted 
the  tender,  and  made  a  good  winter's  work  by  going  to  their  headquarters 
at  Pequawkett,  securing  five  scalps,  and  receiving  therefor  ^200.  It  was 
in  this  war  that  the  family  of  Robert  Parris  was  massacred,  two  little  girls 
alone  escaping  by  fleeing  to  the  cellar  and  hiding  in  a  hogshead  (who 
cannot  hear  their  little  hearts  beating  in  agony  amidst  the  terrors  which 
surrounded  their  dark  and  narrow  retreat  ?),  one  of  whom  was  preserved 
to  become  ancestress  of  the  useful  and  distinguished  family  of  Goffes,  so 
well  known  here  and  in  New  Hampshire.  It  was  in  this  war  that  a  band 


288  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 

of  Mohawks  surprised  your  garrisons  and  murdered  your  people,  and  in 
which,  I  am  proud  to  say,  the  men  of  Essex  County  came  to  your  rescue 
and  defence.  It  was  in  this  war.  which  lasted  until  1713.  a  period  of 
twenty  years,  that  the  population  of  this  town  was  reduced  one  half,  but 
thirteen  families  and  eighty-six  persons  remaining ;  that  the  entire  popu- 
lation was  obliged  to  live  in  garrison  ;  and  that  fear  and  desolation  reigned 
everywhere,  as  the  savages  hung  upon  the  skirts  of  the  English  villages 
"  like  lightning  on  the  edge  of  a  cloud." 

LOVEWELL'S  FIGHT. 

In  1724  a  contest  broke  out  with  the  Indians,  in  which  Dunstable  seems 
to  have  been  principally  interested  from  beginning  to  end,  and  in  which 
the  warriors  of  Dunstable  bore  a  most  conspicuous  part.  The  strife  began 
with  an  attack  by  the  English  on  the  town,  of  Norridgewock,  Me  ,  during 
which  a  band  of  Mohawks  turned  upon  this  town,  and  commenced  a  story 
of  cruelty,  adventure,  and  valor  hardly  equalled  in  history.  The  capture 
of  Nathan  Cross  and  Thomas  Blanchard  began  the  fray,  which  resulted  in 
the  death  of  Lieut.  Ebenezer  French,  Thomas  Lund,  Oliver  Farwell,  and 
Ebenezer  Cummings,  of  Dunstable,  whose  burial-place  is  still  marked  by 
a  monument  not  far  from  the  State  line.  It  was  in  consequence  of  this 
attack  that  John  Lovewell,  Josiah  Farwell,  and  Jonathan  Robbins.  of  this 
town,  petitioned  the  General  Assembly  for  leave  to  raise  a  company,  and 
to  scout  against  the  Indians.  Their  petition  was  granted,  changing  the 
bounty  for  scalps  from  ^50  to  ^100,  and  John  Lovewell  organized  his 
expedition.  His  first  successful  march  into  the  Pequawkett  region  was 
in  December,  1724,  from  which  he  returned  to  organize  another  and 
larger  expedition,  on  which  he  set  out  in  February,  1725,  and  which 
resulted  in  the  entire  destruction  of  a  band  of  Indians,  on  the  2oth  of 
that  month,  near  what  is  now  known  as  Lovewell's  Pond.  "  Encouraged 
by  his  former  success,  and  animated  still  with  an  uncommon  zeal  of  doing 
what  service  he  could,"  Lovewell  marched  a  third  time  into  the  wilder- 
ness, intending  to  attack  the  Pequawketts  in  their  headquarters  on  the 
Saco  River.  Early  in  May,  1725,  he  set  forth  with  thirty-four  men,  of 
whom  seven  were  from  Dunstable,  five  from  Woburn,  seven  from  Con- 
cord, one  from  Andover,  one  from  Weston,  one  from  Londonderry,  one 
from  Billerica,  seven  from  Groton,  and  two  from  Haverhill.  These  brave 
men,  who,  having  reached  the  scene  of  action,  and  holding  counsel  on  the 
subject  of  attacking  a  large  body  of  Indians  who  lay  in  wait  for  them, 
declared  "  that  as  they  had  come  out  on  purpose  to  meet  the  enemy,  they 
would  rather  trust  Providence  with  their  lives  and  die  for  their  country 
than  return  without  seeing  them,"  were  ambushed  and  nearly  all  slain, 
Capt.  Lovewell  falling  at  the  first  fire,  and  his  chaplain,  Jonathan  Frye, 
of  Andover,  lingering  three  days  after  the  close  of  the  fight,  and  dying  of 
his  wounds  in  the  wilderness.  Many  a  time  have  I,  when  a  boy,  paused 
to  rest  beneath  the  shade  of  a  graceful,  sturdy,  and  imposing  elm-tree, 


1873]  BI-CENTENNIAL   ORATION.  289 

which  crowns  one  of  the  finest  hills  of  my  native  town  of  North  Andover, 
and  I  have  mused  there  upon  the  sad  and  tragic  story  of  that  young  man, 
Jonathan  Frye,  who,  when  he  left  his  home  to  join  Capt.  LovewelPs  expe- 
dition, planted  that  tree,  that  he  might,  as  he  said,  leave  his  monument 
behind  should  he  fall  in  the  service.  The  memorial  is,  indeed,  beautiful 
and  significant,  as  in  each  returning  spring,  all  through  this  century  and  a 
half  of  years,  it  has  crowned  itself  in  honor  of  his  memory  who  planted  it 
there;  but  the  young  man  has  a  higher  and  more  enduring  monument 
still,  in  that  it  is  recorded  of  him  that  "  worthy  and  promising,"  a  son  of 
Harvard,  he  laid  down  his  life  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  dawn  over  that 
wilderness  of  the  religion  of  his  Lord  and  Master,  to  whom  he  had  dedi- 
cated all  his  powers.  The  memory  of  Capt.  Lovewell  is  as  green  as  the 
opening  springtime  forest  where  he  fell;  and  while  man  sets  high  value  on 
courage  and  honor  and  devotion  will  the  poet  sing  his  praise,  and  the 
historian  portray  his  deeds,  and  your  town  will  be  proud  of  her  son- 
This  chivalrous  and  touching  and  disastrous  struggle  closed  the  long 
series  of  Indian  depredations,  in.  which  Dunstable  had  been  threatened  so 
often  and  had  suffered  so  much. 

During  the  French  war,  which  broke  out  in  1755,  the  towns  composing 
the  original  territory  of  Dunstable  did  valiant  service,  true  to  their  tra- 
ditions, and  faithful  to  the  memory  of  their  illustrious  dead.  In  the 
adventures  of  that  war,  in  which  John  Stark  commenced  his  career  in 
connection  with  the  men  of  Dunstable,  the  names  of  Lovewell,  Blanchard, 
Johnson,  Farwell,  French,  and  Goffe,  names  possessed  and  cherished  by 
you  still,  are  foremost.  And  now  the  great  events  of  the  American  Revo- 
lution began,  both  in  the  council  and  on  the  field.  I  find  that  on  Oct.  3, 

1774,  while  this  town  "chose  Capt.  John  Tyng  to  represent  the  town  in 
the  great  and  general  court  or  assembly,  to  be  held  and  kept  at  the  court 
house  in  Salem,  upon  Wednesday,  the  fifth  day  of  October,"  the  inhabi- 
tants also  voted  that  "  John  Tyng  and  James  Tyng  serve  for  this  town  in 
the  Provincial  Congress,  to  be  held  in  Concord  on  Tuesday,  the  eleventh 
day  of  October,"  two  for  one  in  favor  of  the  uprising  patriots.      With 
this,  I  think,  we  ought  to  be  content. 

On  the  eleventh  day  of  January,  1775,  John  Tyng  and  James  Tyng 
were  chosen  to  represent  the  town  in  a  Provincial  Congress,  to  be  held  in 
Cambridge  on  the  first  day  of  February,  and  it  was  voted  "  that  the 
following  committee  of  inspection  of  nine  persons  be  appointed  to  carry 
into  execution,  in  the  town  of  Dunstable,  the  agreement  and  association 
of  the  late  respectable  Continental  Congress.  John  Tyng  and  James 
Tyng,  Esqrs.,  and  Messrs.  Joseph  Danforth,  Nathaniel  Holden,  William 
Gordon,  Reuben  Butterfield,  Jacob  Fletcher,  Leonard  [Butterfield],  and 
Joel  Parkhurst  were  chosen  as  this  committee."  On  the  I2th  of  June, 

1775,  John  Tyng  was,  on  account  of  feeble  health,  obliged  to  resign  his 
seat  in  the  Provincial  Congress  at  Watertown,  and  Joel  Parkhurst  was 
elected  to  fill  his  place.     There  are  frequent  indications  on  your  town- 

19 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABI E. 

books  of  the  advancing  spirit  of  your  ancestors  in  the  cause  of  independ- 
ence. Feb.  14,  1776,  for  instance,  the  town-meeting  was  called  '*in  His 
Majesty's  name  " :  May  15  it  was  called  "  in  the  name  of  the  Government 
and  people  of  ye  Massachusetts  Bay";  Sept.  20,  "In  the  name  of  the 
Government  and  People  of  the  Massachusetts  State"  ;  and  Oct.  3,  1776, 
the  town  voted  to  recommend  the  adoption  of  a  State  Constitution. 

A  DECLARATION  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 

Meanwhile  the  spirit  of  independence  grew  warmer  and  warmer,  and 
the  idea  of  American  nationality  filled  the  minds  of  the  people  of  the 
town.  The  Declaration  of  Independence  had  not  yet  set  forth  the 
wrongs  of  the  colonies,  it  is  true,  nor  had  it  proclaimed  to  the  world 
the  intention  and  ultimate  object  of  the  American  people  in  the  great 
contest  then  raging  ;  but  to  the  people  of  Dunstable,  these  wrongs  were 
familiar,  and  their  breasts  were  animated  by  those  patriotic  sentiments 
which  had  been  uttered  in  such  eloquent  tones  in  Faneuil  Hall,  and  had 
found  such  a  warm  response  on  the  floor  of  the  Continental  Congress, 
and  so  this  town  spoke  and  made  its  record  for  the  time.  If  you  will 
turn  to  your  town-books  you  will  find  the  following  entry  :  — 

"At  a  meeting  of  yc  Town  of  Dunstable  on  June  8th,  1776  [nearly  a 
month  before  the  Declaration  of  Independence],  chose  Mr.  Joel  Park- 
hurst,  Moderator  :  —  Then  chose  Major  Ebenezer  Bancroft,  Capt.  Reuben 
Butterfield,  and  Mr.  Timothy  Read,  a  committee  to  prepare  ye  Draught 
of  a  vote  which  is  as  follows :  —  At  a  time  when  ye  most  important 
Questions  that  ever  were  agitated  Before  ye  Representative  Body  of 
this  Colony,  Touching  its  Liberties  and  privileges,  will  demand  your 
attention,  as  we  your  constituents  are  called  upon  to  instruct  you  in 
every  Important  Point  of  Duty  you  may  be  called  to  act  upon,  viz  : 
of  ye  Colonyes  being  Declared  Independent  of  Grate  Brittan  when 
we  reflect  upon  the  States  of  America,  when  our  Forefathers  first 
came  over  here,  and  ye  cause  for  which  they  came,  and  The  Treatment 
of  Grate  Brittan  Towards  us  Ever  since,  But  especially  of  Late  when 
our  Humble  Petition  to  ye  King  of  Grate  Brittan  for  our  just  Rights 
Repeatdly  Rejected  with  Disdain  and  fier  and  sword,  Takeing  place 
upon  our  Brethren  of  this  Land.  He  and  His  Parliament  not  only 
Deceaving  the  People  of  Grate  Brittan  but  attempting  To  hier  y  natives 
of  this  Land  to  Butcher  us,  and  for  what  we  know  hath  Hired  all  ye 
covitous,  Bloodthirsty  souls  upon  ye  face  of  ye  whole  earth  to  come 
against  us  in  order  to  rob  us  of  Life  and  fortune,  ye  contemplation  of 
which  fills  our  brests  [with]  Abhorrence  and  Disdain  against  ye  Power 
that  is  thus  acting  we  then  will  joyn  with  our  brethren  of  America,  in 
Pressing  such  measures  as  the  Hon'ble  the  Continental  Congress  shall 
adopt  if  it  is  that  of  Independence  of  Grate  Brittan  and  you  will  Equip 
yourself  as  a  member  of  Society  and  will  use  your  utmost  Indeavors  in 
promoting  the  cause  of  America  not  in  the  least  doubting  your  abilities. 


18/3]  BI-CENTENNIAL    ORATION.  291 

The  above  being  Red  to  ye  Town  ye  Question  being  put  whether  ye  same 
Be  given  as  advice  to  ye  present  Representative  of  this  Town  passed  in 
the  affirmative.  Nem.  Con. 

u  Entered  by 

"JosiAH  BLODGETT  JR., 

"  Town  Clerk." 

I  think  I  see  them  now,  those  earnest  and  manly  sons  of  the  Puritan 
warriors  and  teachers,  who  had  filled  the  pulpits  and  town-houses  and 
armies  of  our  land  during  a  century  of  protest  and  trial  and  self-sacrifice 
and  defiance,  rising  higher  and  higher  in  their  indignant  sense  of  duty  as 
the  fierce  periods  which  I  have  just  read  to  you  were  launched  forth  upon 
an  approving  town-meeting  here  by  that  simple  and  sturdy  chairman.  And 
can  you  not  feel  with  them  the  hot  blood  of  the  warrior  Lovewell  coursing 
through  their  veins  as  the  ardent  declaration  went  on  ?  The  memory  of 
long  and  weary  trials  in  the  cause  of  civilization  there  in  that  wilderness^ 
of  the  precepts  of  those  old  teachers  who  were  gone,  of  the  bloody  seas 
through  which  they  had  been  brought  to  their  great  assertion,  of  the 
wrongs  of  the  past,  —  this,  and  their  glowing  understanding  of  the  promise 
of  the  present  hour  before  them,  and  of  the  future,  all  inspired  their 
minds  with  wisdom  and  their  hearts  with  courage  for  that  occasion. 

From  their  humble  homes  they  had  stepped  forth,  not  to  follow  but  to 
lead,  not  to  listen  but  to  speak,  not  to  be  taught  but  to  teach  mankind  to 
be  true  to  the  highest  demands  of  a  free  and  independent  spirit.  It  was 
to  the  voice  of  such  assemblies  as  this  that  our  fathers  of  the  Revolution 
listened  ;  it  was  the  wisdom  of  such  assemblies  that  guided  their  councils, 
and  gave  the  American  people  their  greatness. 

WHAT   TROOPS   THEY   RAISED. 

True  to  this  spirit  and  inspired  by  this  language,  Dunstable  continued 
to  supply  men  to  the  army,  voting,  in  1777,  "to  raise  men  for  the  Conti- 
nental army,"  and  also  voting  "  not  to  allow  those  men  that  hired  men 
into  the  Continental  army  for  1776,  equal  to  others."  It  was  also  voted, 
March  5,  1781,  "to  allow  the  committee  to  procure  beef  for  the  army." 
Passing  beyond  this  practical  service,  the  town  voted  "  to  recommend  the 
adoption  of  a  state  constitution,"  Oct.  3,  1776.  In  all  these  acts  and  declar- 
ations we  cannot  but  be  struck  with  the  important  position  assumed  by  the 
towns  in  those  early  days,  and  the  important  part  they  performed:  nor 
can  we  fail  to  look  with  profound  interest  on  the  intimate  relations  existing 
between  the  people  and  their  representatives,  and  the  power  and  persist- 
ency with  which  the  popular  voice  was  continually  raised  for  the  guidance 
and  instruction  of  the  rulers.  In  the  war  of  1812  the  town  voted  "that 
each  soldier  in  the  town  of  Dunstable  that  shall  be  called  into  the  actual 
service  of  the  United  States  shall  be  allowed,  out  of  the  town  treasury,  a 
sum  sufficient  to  make  his  pay"  fifteen  dollars  per  month  for  such  time  as 
he  shall  be  so  actually  engaged,  including  the  pay  allowed  by  government." 


292 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


THE   CIVIL   WAR. 

And  when  the  country,  to  the  foundation  and  independence  and  honor 
of  which  Dunstable  had  devoted  herself  through  the  generations  of  two 
centuries,  was  threatened  with  disruption,  the  spirit  which  had  responded 
so  warmly  for  independence  roused  itself  at  once  for  its  safety  and  protec- 
tion. To  the  repose  of  peace  your  people  had  long  been  accustomed,  so 
long  that  the  front  of  war  was  almost  unknown,  even  when  presented  in 
your  midst ;  but  rising  with  the  occasion,  this  little  community  decimated 
itself  for  the  loyal  armies,  furnishing  forty-three  men  to  the  country's 
service  and  appropriating  more  than  $10,000  out  of  the  treasury  of  the 
town  for  the  support  and  comfort  of  the  soldiers.  The  votes  recorded 
in  your  town-books,  commencing  in  July,  1862,  with  the  offer  of  a  bounty 
of  one  hundred  dollars  to  each  volunteer,  and  ending  April,  1864,  with  a 
a  vote  increasing  the  bounty  to  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars,  mani- 
fest a  patriotic  calmness  and  devotion  in  the  most  trying  hour  of  the  war. 

CIVIL   MATTERS   IN   THE   TOWN. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  the  question  of  a  consti- 
tution for  the  State  of  Massachusetts  was  submitted  to  the  voters  of  the 
several  towns  in  the  commonwealth.  In  Dunstable  a  town-meeting  was 
called  on  May  15,  1780.  and  adjourned  to  Tuesday,  May  30,  to  consider 
the  several  articles  of  the  constitution  reported  by  the  convention  which 
had  prepared  it.  The  objections  are  so  remarkable  and  significant  that 
I  shall  lay  them  before  you.  as  an  illustration  of  the  positive  views  and 
sentiments  of  those  times.  Joel  Parkhurst  having  been  chosen  moderator 
in  the  place  of  John  Tyng,  Esq.,  who  was  unavoidably  absent,  "  the  meet- 
ing proceeded  to  consider  the  second  and  third  articles,  wherein  they 
engage  full  protection  to  all  denominations  of  Ckristians  ;  which  sentences 
are  so  general  as  to  engage  protection  to  the  idolatrous  worshippers  of 
the  Church  of  Rome.  The  questions  being  put,  there  appeared  twenty- 
three  for  an  amendment,  none  against  it. 

"  The  second  objection  was  to  the  sixteenth  article  in  said  bill  of  right, 
as  to  the  liberty  of  the  press,  as  there  being  no  restraint  therein  it  maybe 
made  up  to  the  dishonor  of  God,  by  printing  heresy  and  so  forth,  and 
injurious  to  private  character.  The  question  being  put,  twenty-six  ap- 
peared for  an  amendment,  none  for  the  article  as  it  now  stands. 

"The  third  objection  was  to  having  so  large  a  number  of  councillors 
and  senators  as  forty,  whereas  twenty-eight,  under  the  former  constitution, 
they  understood,  answered  every  purpose  required  of  that  body  ;  upon  the 
question  there  appeared  twelve  for  an  amendment." 

"The  fourth  objection  was  relative  to  the  governor's  power  of  marching 
the  militia  to  any  part  of  the  State,  without  the  advice  or  consent  of  any. 
The  amendment  proposed  was  that  when  the  governor  should  find  it  need- 
ful to  march  the  militia  from  and  about  Boston  more  than  one  hundred 


BI-CENTENNIAL    ORATION. 


2Q3 


miles,  it  should  be  by  advice  and  consent  of  his  council  and  not  other- 
wise, and  by  the  same  advice  and  consent,  to  have  full  power  to  march 
them  to  the  assistance  of  any  neighboring  State,  in  the  recess  of  the 
General  Court,  when  there  appeared  eleven  for  the  amendment. 

"  The  fifth  objection  was  to  the  appointment  of  all  judicial  officers,  the 
attorney-general,  the  solicitor-general,  all  sheriffs,  coroners,  and  registers 
of  probate  resting  in  the  hands  of  the  governor  and  council,  but  held  it  a 
right  of  the  people  at  large  to  choose  them;  upon  this  question,  seven  for 
an  amendment  and  six  against  it. 

"  The  sixth  objection  was  to  the  declaration  to  be  made  and  subscribed 
by  the  governor,  lieutenant-governor,  council,  Senate  and  House  of 
Representatives,  before  they  proceed  to  execute  the  duties  of  their  office, 
which  is  to  declare  themselves  to  be  of  the  Christian  religion,  reasons 
offered  for  said  objections  were  these,  that  thereby  the  government  would 
be  confined  to  Protestants  ;  upon  the  question  there  appeared  nineteen 
for  the  amendment,  and  none  in  the  negative. 

"The  seventh  objection  was  to  the  form  of  oath  prescribed  ;  the  amend- 
ment proposed  was  this  :  to  place  the  words  'by  the  Living  God,'  taken 
in  said  oath  as  is  required  in  His  word  ;  thirteen  for  amendment." 

"The  eighth  objection  was  that  the  denomination  of  people  called 
Quakers  being  admitted  to  office  upon  an  affirmation  without  taking  oath 
in  manner  and  form  as  required  of  others  ;  upon  the  question,  there 
appeared  twelve  for  the  amendment  and  none  against  it* 

"  The  ninth  objection  was  to  the  time  proposed  for  the  revisal  of  the 
constitution  if  it  should  take  place,  but  proposed  to  have  this  amendment, 
that  precepts  be  issued  by  the  General  Court  for  a  change  of  delegates 
for  that  purpose  in  seven  years  from  this  time  ;  the  question  was  then 
put  whether  the  town  would  approve  of  said  constitution  or  form  of 
government,  if  amended  for  substance  as  pointed  out  in  this  return,  when 
there  appeared  thirteen  in  favor  of  it  taking  place,  and  not  one  to  the 
contrary." 

I  think  it  is  evident  that  your  ancestors  believed  in  an  economical  gov- 
ernment, were  opposed  to  military  despotism  and  Caesarism,  did  not  ap- 
prove of  a  powerful  executive,  had  strong  Puritan  faith  and  no  great 
love  for  Quakers  or  Catholics,  and  meant  to  make  an  oath  as  binding 
as  possible. 

RELIGIOUS    TEACHING. 

I  have  already  stated  that  in  the  settlement  of  New  England,  religion 
was  at  the  very  foundation,  and  I  have  depicted  to  you  some  of  the  early 
struggles  in  this  community  to  provide  for  the  preaching  of  the  gospel. 
The  first  meeting-house  was  erected  in  1678,  and  was  probably  built  of 
logs.  In  May,  1679,  Rev.  Thomas  Weld  was  employed  here  as  minister. 
He  married  Hannah,  daughter  of  Hon.  Edward  Tyng.  In  1684  a  new 
meeting-house  was  erected,  and  he  was  ordained  in  December,  1685.  The 
name  of  Jonathan  Tyng  heads  the  list  of  church  members,  Mr.  Weld 


294 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


died  in  1702,  at  the  age  of  fifty,  leaving  a  high  reputation  as  a  scholar  and 
preacher.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Samuel  Hunt  in  1705,  by  Rev. 
Samuel  Parris,  of  witchcraft  fame,  in  1708,  by  Rev.  Amos  Cheever  in  1713, 
on  a  salary  of  ^40  per  year,  by  the  Rev.  Jona.  Peirpoint  in  1717,  by  Rev. 
Nathaniel  Prentice  in  1720.  These  clergymen  were,  many  of  them, 
graduates  of  Harvard,  were  firm  in  the  Calvinistic  faith,  and  exerted  a 
good  influence  on  the  community.  They  exercised  an  exemplary  economy 
in  their  modes  of  living,  and  they  cultivated  those  qualities  of  mind  and 
heart  in  their  children  which  made  the  families  of  the  clergy  of  that  early 
day  nurseries  of  many  of  the  most  useful,  substantial,  and  reliable  char- 
acteristics of  the  New  England  colonies.  From  the  time  to  which  I  have 
alluded  until  our  own  day,  the  condition  of  church  affairs  here  has  been 
generally  peaceable,  and  the  temper  of  pastor  and  people  has  not  been 
controversial.  In  fact,  I  find  but  one  notable  event,  to  which  I  can  call 
your  attention,  and  that  is  so  interesting,  so  full  of  instruction  and  sound 
suggestion,  such  an  illustration  of  that  honesty  and  fidelity  which  become 
a  public  servant,  that  I  desire  to  state  it  fully  here.  As  recorded  in  your 
town-books,  it  is  as  follows  :  — 

"  The  committee  chosen  by  the  Town  of  Dunstable,  at  their  last  meet- 
ing, Sept.  2,  1811,  to  represent  to  and  consult  with  the  Rev'd  Joshua 
Heywood  respecting  the  state  of  public  worship  in  the  town,  have  attended 
to  that  service  and  offer  the  following  statement  of  the  Rev'd  Mr.  Hey- 
wood as  their  report. 

"ZEBEDEE  KENDALL        ~| 
MICAH  ELDREDGE 
NATHANIEL  CUMMINGS   \Cotnmittee- 
JOHN  CHANEY  J 

"  DUNSTABLB,  Sept.  14,  i8n." 

"  To  THE  INHABITANTS  OF  THE  TOWN  OF  DUNSTABLE  : 

"  Gentlemen,  —  Whereas,  your  committee  chosen  by  you  in  town  meet- 
ing, the  2d  of  September,  1811,  have  represented  to  and  consulted  with 
me  on  the  situation  of  the  town  respecting  public  worship,  and  having 
represented  to  me  that  there  are  in  the  minds  of  many,  apprehensions  of 
pecuniary  embarrassment,  in  consequence  of  an  Act  passed  at  the  last 
session  of  the  General  Court  of  this  commonwealth,  relating  to  religious 
freedom,  I  do,  with  their  advice  and  concurrence,  make  the  following 
statement  to  you  :  — 

"  As  I  did,  in  my  answer  to  the  call  given  me  to  settle  as  a  gospel 
minister  in  this  place,  bring  to  your  view  the  impropriety  of  making  the 
stipulation  between  a  people  and  their  minister  a  matter  of  pecuniary 
speculation,  and  as  you  complied  with  it,  I  ever  thought  that  we  were 
bound  on  both  sides  never  to  do  any  such  thing.  I  do,  therefore,  now 
most  solemnly  record  my  protest  against  it. 

"  But  conceiving  it  to  be  the  duty  of  a  people  and  their  minister  to  be 


1 8/3]  BI-CENTENN1AL   ORATION.  295 

always  helpful  to  each  other  under  all  difficulties  and  embarrassments,  to 
perform  this  duty,  therefore,  toward  you,  now  laboring  under  apprehen- 
sions of  embarrassments,  I  propose  to  you  that  provided  the  said  Act  of 
the  General  Court  above  mentioned,  shall  not  be  repealed,  but  be  put  in 
execution  to  your  damage,  so  that  your  ministerial  taxes  shall  be  increased 
thereby  upon  the  valuation  of  your  estates,  and  provided  there  shall  be  a 
majority  of  the  town,  who  will  attend  the  public  worship  of  God  with  the 
Congregational  Church  of  Christ,  as  heretofore  done  in  the  house  now 
built  for  that  purpose,  under  the  regular  administration  thereof,  which,  by 
Divine  Providence,  shall  be  provided,  I  will  relinquish  so  much  of  my 
salary  for  the  present  year,  as  the  increase  upon  their  ministerial  taxes 
shall  be.  The  year  to  begin  the  ist  of  March,  i8ri,  and  end  the  ist  of 
March,  1812.  That  no  encouragement  be  taken  herefrom  to  the  damage 
of  the  town,  I  reserve  the  consideration  of  any  relinquishment  in  future 
years,  to  my  own  judgment  of  the  circumstances  which  may  then  exist. 

"  My  design  and  intent  in  this  proposal  and  engagement,  is  to  relieve 
the  town  from  their  present  apprehensions  and  embarrassment,  and  to 
have  them  attend  on  the  public  worship  of  God  in  as  orderly  and  regular 
a  manner  as  they  can  under  the  present  difficulties,  and  to  prevent  the 
introduction  of  such  irregularities  as  would  be  to  the  damage  of  the  town 
and  church.  If  this  proposal  gives  satisfaction  to  your  minds  and  meets 
your  approbation,  and  you  use  your  endeavors  to  carry  the  things  pro- 
posed into  effect,  then  this  instrument,  by  me  signed,  shall  be  in  full 
force,  otherwise  it  shall  be  void  and  of  no  effect. 

"JOSHUA  HEYWOOD. 

"DUNSTABLE,  Sept.  ii,  i8n." 

Although  I  find  no  recorded  words  of  the  clergy  of  Dunstable,  no  vig- 
orous appeals  in  great  public  crises,  no  contributions  of  theirs  to  the 
controversial  literature  of  their  day,  I  can  still  read  in  the  popular  charac- 
teristics of  this  town,  in  the  unflinching  courage  and  energy  of  your  early 
ancestors,  in  the  steady  and  long-continued  rectitude  of  the  public  men 
here  engaged  in  the  councils  of  both  town  and  State,  in  the  constant 
recognition  of  the  value  of  religion  and  education,  —  I  can  read  in  all  this 
the  salutary  influence  of  a  high-toned  and  pious  succession  of  Christian 
ministers  within  your  borders.  But  of  none,  either  here  or  elsewhere,  can 
higher  praise  be  uttered  than  of  Joshua  Heywood,  who,  recognizing  the 
burdens  which  pressed  upon  his  people,  declined  to  avail  himself  of  any 
statute  for  his  pecuniary  advantage,  refusing  to  make  "the  stipulation 
between  a  people  and  their  minister  a  matter  of  pecuniary  speculation," 
and  appealing  to  their  sense  of  honor  to  stand  by  that  contract  which  he 
made  with  them,  and  they  with  him,  in  the  beginning,  even  though  it 
might  be  to  his  own  loss.  If  the  theology  and  ethics  of  this  town  have 
furnished  this  and  this  alone  as  their  contribution  to  the  best  guiding 
principle  of  the  land,  then  has  it  not  been  built  in  vain.  I  commend  the 
conscience  and  temper  and  spirit  of  Mr.  Heywood  to  all  the  public  ser- 


296  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [l8/3 

vants  of  our  land,  high  and  low,  to  all  who  feel  and  know  that  a  virtuous 
and  honorable  republic  is  the  highest  glory  of  man,  and  that  a  corrupt 
republic  is  his  deepest  shame. 

DISTINGUISHED     MEN. 

I  should  not  be  doing  justice  to  this  town,  and  discharging  my  duty  on 
this  occasion  in  accordance  with  your  best  sentiments,  did  I  fail  to  remind 
you  of  some,  a  few  at  least,  of  those  men  of  mark  whose  names  are  inti- 
mately connected  with  your  history.     In  all  my  recital  of  the  important 
events  in  your  earlier  annals  you  must  have  noticed  the  prominence  and 
importance  attached  to  the  name  of  Tyng.     The  founder  of  the  family 
here  was  Hon.  Edward  Tyng,  who  died  Dec.  28,  1681,  aged  eighty-one 
years.,  .•  .Ofcl.  Tyng  was  born  in  Dunstable,  England,  in  1600,  settled  in 
Boston  as  a  merchant  in  1639,  was  representative  in  1661  and  1662,  assist- 
ant from  1668  to  1681,  and  colonel  of  the  Suffolk  regiment.     He  left  six 
children,  two  sons  and  four  daughters.     His  sons  were  prominent  in  their 
day,  and  his  daughters  will  be  remembered  as  among  the  foremost  women 
of  their  time  ;    Hannah  having  married  Rev.  Thomas  Weld,  a  leading 
clergyman  of  this   town   and   of  the  colony ;  Eunice  being  the  wife  of 
President  Willard,  of  Harvard  College ;   and   Rebecca  having  married 
Gov.  Dudley.      Col.  Tyng  had  the  strength,  energy,  and  courage  of  a 
leading  and  successful  colonist,  had  enterprise  enough  to  leave  the  Old 
World  for  the  opportunities  of  the  New,  sagacity  enough  to  become  a  dis- 
tinguished and  prosperous  merchant,  and  strength  of  character  sufficient 
to  found  a  family.     He  became  possessed  of  lands  in  this  town  by  early 
grants,  and  having  acquired  a  fortune   by  commercial  enterprise  in  his 
manhood,  he  had  the  wisdom  to  retire  to  the  country  to  enjoy  there  the 
evening  of  his  day.     He  gave  the  name  to  a  town  in  his  own  honor,  and 
in  that  town  his  ashes  repose.     Hon.  Jonathan  Tyng,  the  son  of  Col- 
Edward  Tyng,  was  born  Dec.   15,  1642,  and  died  Jan.   19,  1724,  aged 
eighty-one.     It  is  said  of  him,  "  He  was  one  of  the  original  proprietors  of 
the  town,  and  the  earliest  permanent  settler,  having  remained  here  alone 
during  Philip's  War,  when  every  other  person  had  deserted  the  settlement 
for  fear  of  the  Indians."     He  was  a  man  of  great  energy  and  decision  of 
character,  and  of  probity  and  honor.     He  was  one  of  the  council  of  Sir 
Edward  Andros,  a  royal  commissioner  under  James  II,  a  representative  of 
this  town  and  one  of  its  selectmen.  It  was  he  to  whom  the  garrisons  of  the 
town  were  intrusted  during  the  Indian  wars.     Two  of  his  sons,  John  and 
Eleazer,  were  graduates  of  Harvard   College,  and  his   daughter   Mary 
followed  the  example  of  many  of  the  attractive  and  accomplished  young 
women  of  that   day,  and   married   the   parish    minister,  Rev.  Nathaniel 
Holden.     Col.  Tyng  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Hezekiah  Usher,  who 
died  in  1714.     Rev.  Thomas  Weld,  the  first  minister  of  the  town,  died 
June  9,  1702,  aged  fifty  years.      He  was  born  in  Roxbury,  and  was   a 
grandson  of  Rev.  Thomas  Weld,  the  first  minister  of  that   town,  who 


18/3]  BI-CENTENNIAL    ORATION.  297 

came  from  England  in  1632.  Mr.  Weld,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  grad- 
uated at  Harvard  in  1671,  and  studied  divinity  with  Rev.  Samuel  Danforth, 
and  settled  in  Dunstable  in  1678.  He  married  for  his  first  wife  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  Rev.  John  Wilson,  of  Medfield  ;  and  for  his  second  wife 
•  Hannah  Savage,  daughter  of  Hon.  Edward  Tyng.  He  was  a  man  of 
great  piety,  and  exerted  an  elevating  influence  on  the  community  during 
his  long  ministry.  He  was  a  good  representative  of  that  class  of  men 
who  in  those  days  were  educated  at  Harvard,  stood  by  the  church,  and 
encouraged  the  schools,  and  who  did  so  much  to  give  New  England  that 
character  of  intelligence  and  integrity  which  she  has  not  yet  lost,  and 
which  has  been  carried  by  her  sons  into  every  corner  of  our  land. 

AMOS  KENDALL,  an  eminent  lawyer  and  statesman,  was  born  in  Dun- 
stable,  Aug.  1 6,  1789,  son  of  Zebedee  [Kendall]  and  his  wife.  He  was 
occupied  during  his  early  life,  until  sixteen  years  of  age,  in  work  on  his 
father's  farm.  His  advantages  for  education  were  small,  and  it  was  not 
until  he  entered  Dartmouth  College,  in  1807,  where  he  was  graduated 
with  the  highest  honors  of  his  class,  in  1811,  that  he  was  in  any  way 
enabled  to  gratify  his  love  of  knowledge.  Having  taught  school  in  various 
parts  of  Massachusetts,  in  order  to  defray  the  expenses  of  his  education, 
and  having  studied  law  with  William  B.  Richardson,  Esq.,  of  Groton, 
afterwards  chief  justice  of  New  Hampshire ;  he  removed  to  Kentucky, 
was  tutor  in  the  family  of  Henry  Clay,  afterwards  postmaster  of  Lexing- 
ton, Ky.,  and  finally  editor  of  the  Argus  of  Western  America.  While 
living  in  Kentucky,  he  did  much  to  develop  the  common  schools  of  that 
State,  and  established  the  school  fund  now  in  existence  there.  His 
ability  as  an  editor  and  writer  attracted  the  attention  of  President  Jack- 
son, who,  in  1829,  called  him  to  Washington,  where  he  was  successively 
fourth  auditor  of  the  treasury  department  and  postmaster  general.  He 
remained  in  public  life  until  1840,  when  he  retired  to  the  duties  of  his 
profession. 

Mr.  Kendall  was  one  of  the  clearest  and  most  forcible  writers  of  his 
day.  His  mind  was  directed  by  the  warmest  instincts  for  the  people,  and 
by  a  keen  understanding  of  those  doctrines  of  government  which  are  based 
on  popular  rights  and  tend  to  preserve  the  popular  virtue.  His  words 
were  well  known  throughout  our  country,  and  to  him  was  accorded  the 
distinction  of  clothing  the  administration  of  President  Jackson  with  many 
of  its  finest  utterances  and  many  of  its  noblest  appeals.  The  character 
of  Mr.  Kendall  was  pure  and  admirable.  Towards  the  close  of  his  life  he 
formed  one  of  the  attractions  of  Washington,  where  his  mild,  blue  eye,  his 
long,  snowy  hair,  his  delicate  and  slender  form,  his  placid  expression,  were 
familiar  to  all,  and  where  his  charming  conversation  was  one  of  the  great 
delights  of  the  circle  in  which  he  moved.  It  was  this  delicacy  of  his 
moral  and  physical  structure  which  prevented  his  being  one  of  the  most 
conspicuous,  as  he  was  one  of  the  ablest  and  purest,  personages  in  our 
history. 


298  HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE.  [1873 

CONCLUSION. 

And  now,  friends  and  fellow-citizens,  this  brief  story  of  your  town  is 
told.  I  have  not  explored  the  remotest  recesses  of  your  annals  for  marks 
of  your  eccentricity,  or  for  those  personal  details  which,  while  they  amuse 
for  the  hour,  make  no  appeal  to  those  sentiments  of  pride  and  satisfaction 
which  should  fill  the  breast  of  every  man  who  muses  by  the  graves  and 
studies  the  high  qualities  of  his  ancestors.  I  have  not  forgotten  your 
errors,  —  the  local  controversies,  the  existence  of  slavery  here  when 
slavery  existed  everywhere,  the  shortcomings  and  the  temporary  irrita- 
tions ;  but  I  have  passed  them  by,  and  have  endeavored  so  to  deal  with 
your  history  as  to  fill  your  minds  with  respect  for  your  ancestors  and 
with  a  determination  to  transmit,  in  more  radiant  form,  the  blessed  institu- 
tions which  you  have  inherited,  to  those  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  preserve 
them,  and  to  celebrate  them  at  the  next  centennial  anniversary  of  the 
settlement  of  this  town. 


INDEX  OF  SUBJECTS,   NAMES,  AND  PLACES. 


Abbot,  Amos,  page  181  ;  John,  91. 

Acadians,  99. 

Accident,  painful,  57,  86,  129,  166,  175, 
176,  199,  180,  183,  184,  188,  197-199. 

Account  book,  144. 

Account  of  men  in  service,  138-142. 

Acres,  John,  17,  27,  28. 

Act  of  incorporation,  10. 

Action  against  the  town,  109. 

Action  of  the  town  after  division,  286. 

Adams,  Daniel,  183 ;  Darwin,  171,  183, 
186,  187  ;  Ephraim,  75  ;  Henry,  82 ; 
Judah,  234 ;  J.  Q  ,  198  ;  Phineas, 
234  ;  Ruth,  95  ;  Samuel,  32,  63,  64  ; 
Solomon,  22 ;  Stephen,  74,  75,  78, 
94 ;  Thomas,  75,  95,  234  ;  Zachariah, 

75- 

Addison,  George,  75. 
Adeawanda,  50  ;  Affray  at  Thornton's 

Ferry,  41. 
Agawam,  37. 
Agricultural  Library,  160. 
Aid  for  Bostonians,  115. 
Aiken,  Peter,  no. 
Alarm  list,  118. 

Allen,  W.,  21,  <22,  87,  136,  148. 
Alls,  Jno.,  101. 
Allston,  W.,  i. 
Alton,  N.  H.,  218. 
Amherst,  Mass.,  147,  168 ;  N.  H.,  144, 

282.    . 

Ammunition  provided,  108,  164. 
Amusements,  199. 
Anderson,  Henry,  192. 
Andover,  Mass.,  44,  45,  47,  191,  224, 

228. 

Andrew,  J.  A.,  188,  189. 
Andrews,  Aaron,  172. 
Andros,  E.,  296. 
Anecdote,  91,  113,  114,  115,  129. 
Angle  Meadow,  17,  100. 
Antietam,  193. 
Arlington,  Mass.,  217. 
Arnold,  B.,  120. 


Artillery  company,  8,  282. 

Ashland,  Ky.,  220. 

Assault  of  Mohawks,  35. 

Astin,  Abiel,  44  ;  Zebediah,  45. 

Atherton,  Jno.,  264. 

Atkinson,  N.  H.,  176. 

Attack  on  Dunstable,  35,  41. 

Attleborough,  Mass.,  33,  216. 

Auburn,  N.  Y.,  217. 

Austin,  F.  D.,  198,  202,  203. 

Ayer,  Ebenr.,  44. 

Ayers,  Joseph,  102  ;  "William,  43,  45. 


Baker,  Betsy,  254  ;  Emily,  254  ;  Esau, 
192. 

Baldwin,  Charles,  182,  185 ;  Daniel, 
42  ;  Jacob,  116,  125. 

Ballad  on  Lovewell's  fight,  51. 

Ballou,  Adin,  190  ;  Hosea,  190. 

Balston,  Nathaniel,  108. 

Bancroft,  A.  A.,  226;  Chloe,  152,  225  ; 
Ebenezer,  98, 108,  no,  113-115,  119- 
121,  129,  141,  151,  212,  214,  225,  233, 
234,  290  ;  Elizabeth,  234  ;  Hannah, 
234;  Jonathan,  112,  129,  151,  234; 
Joseph,  212 ;  Susannah,  14^,  146, 
152,  225,  234;  Timothy,  75,  77,  78, 
84,  87,  101. 

Baptist  Society,  157. 

Barnes'  Brook,  61. 

Barnes,  James,  192. 

Barron,  Elias,  44  ;  Jotham,  124  ;  Tim- 
othy, 101  ;  William,  101. 

Barry,  John  S.,  131,  136,  281. 

Barton,  John,  122. 

Bath,  Me.,  224. 

Battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  113-115. 

Bass-viol,  opposition  to,  160. 

Baton  Rouge,  193. 

Bay  Psalm  Book,  27,  29,  94,  145. 

Bayley,  Eliphalet,  116,  118,  125,  127, 
132  ;  Sybil,  139. 

Beale,  John,i7;  Samuel,i7;  William,  17. 


300 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


-it 
/ 


Bean,  Francis,  192. 

Hear  Pond,  n. 

Bernard,  Francis,  107. 

Heaver  Brook,  1  1,  39,  76,  282. 

Becket,  Mass  ,  198. 

Beckwith,  Hiram,  190. 

Bedford,  103. 

Beef  supplied  to  the  army,  135,  137. 

Be)  knap,  Jeremy,  49. 

Bennett,  James,  78,  182,  184,  186,  226; 
Jonathan,  159,  162,  173,  175,  184, 
225  ;  Joseph,  158  ;  M.  A.,  185  ; 
Peter,  in  ;  Sarah,  225;  Thomas, 
158-160. 

Berlin,  city  of,  226. 

Berries,  71. 

Betterl  y,  George,  159. 

Berwick,  Me.,  48. 

Bi-centennial  celebration,  201-211. 

Bigelow,  Timothy,  160. 

Billerica,  Mass.,  6-8,  10,  17,  23,  29,  31, 
32,  35,  44,  47,  49,  55,  56,  62,  85,  too, 
102,  in,  113,  115,  125,  288  ;  North,  2. 

Billings.  William,  116,  145. 

Births,  list  of,  270-277. 

Biscake  Brook,  106. 

Bishop,  George,  112. 

Blanchard,  81,  289;  Amos,  178;  El- 
eazer,  235;  Hannah,  36;  John,  17, 
28,  30,  32  ;  Jonathan,  233  ;  Joseph, 
32.  37.  38«  39-  4',  TO.  8«  98,  214, 
232>  233  ;  Lydia,  36  ;  Nathaniel,  32, 
36;  Ruth,  78;  Susannah,  36  ;  Thomas, 
32,  41,  42,  78,  288  ;  William,  ju,  7* 

Black  Brook,  61-63. 

Blake,  Caleb,  156,  157. 

Blanchard's  Hill,  67. 

Blankets  provided,  1  16. 

Blodgett,  55,  71;  Abigail,  271;  AbbyM., 
268;  Bridget,  271  ;  David,  271  ;  Ezra, 
271  ;  Frederick,  172,  214,  268,  271  ; 
George  C.,  182  ;  George  T.,  98,  226, 
268  ;  George  Z.,  226  ;  Hannah,  268  ; 
Jacob,  271  ;  James,  186  ;  Jemima, 
74,  237,  269,  271  ;  John,  118,  125, 
146,  186,  266,  268,  271  ;  John  F., 
266;  Jonathan,  271;  Joseph,  49; 
Josiah,  56,  74,  75,  77,  84,  94,  97,  101- 
103,  105,  no,  116,  119,  127,  130,  132, 
137,  159.  237,  268,  269,  271,  291  ; 
Josiah  W.,  158,  237,  268,  271  ;  Lydia, 
271  ;  Mahala  A.,  268  ;  Mary,  235, 
268,276;  Mary  A.,  268;  Matilda  A., 
266  ;  Olive,  237,  271  ;  Prudence,  140  ; 
harah,  271;  Sarah  S.,  2665  Thad- 
deus,  172,  271  ;  William,  56,  98, 
140,  270,  271  ;  Zebulon,  116,  118, 
125,  127,  155,  159,  166,  172,  186,  236, 
237,  258,  271,  276;  Mrs.  Zebulon,  65, 


Blodgett's  Brook,  61. 
Blood,  71,  80,  81  ;  A.,  184  ;  Abigail, 
94,  96,  229;  Abraham,  171,  179; 
Adah,  277  ;  Allen,  252,  277  ;  Betsey, 
277  ;  Caleb,  153,  159,  166,  172,  269; 
Charles,  264,  277;  Ebenezer,  173; 
Eber,  277  ;  Eli,  277  ;  Elizabeth,  77, 
277  ;  Eunice,  108  ;  Ezra,  108  ;  Han- 
nah, 108  ;  Henry,  153,  159,  171-173, 
277;  Isaac,  277;  James,  137,  152, 
166,  173,277;  Jesse,  164,  171,  173, 
270,  277;  Josiah,  108 ;  Levi,  171, 
!73>  277  ;  Lucy,  277  ;  Luther,  277  ; 
Mary,  166,  277  ;  Miles,  185,  226, 
277  ;  Nancy,  277  ;  Nathaniel,  9  ; 
Noah,  184;  Peter,  153,  166,  171, 
173,  277  ;  Ralph,  277  ;  Rebecca,  252, 
269  ;  Reuben,  253  ;  Robert,  72,  75, 
78,  84,  86,  91,  96,  103-105,  229 ; 
Rufusj  277  ;  Sarah,  94, 108,  166,  252, 
253,  277;  Sarah  E.,  199;  Sarah  G., 
253  ;  Silas,  153,  171,  175,  252,  253, 
269  ;  Silas  W.,  252  ;  Simeon,  98  ; 
Susan,  277  ;  Washington  E.,  137  ; 
198,  199,  201,  226,  227. 

Boston,  1-3,  5,  23,  24,  26,  29,  31,  34, 
43.  49.  59,  02,  7S,  86,  107,  108,  112, 
114,  115,  124,  147,  161,  168,  186,  283. 

Bowdoin,  James,  135,  144. 

Boundary  between  Dunstable  and  Dra- 
cut,  39. 

Boundary  between  Dunstable  and  Gro- 
ton,  96,  loo. 

Bounties  on  crows,  156 ;  on  wolves,  83. 

Bounties  for  soldiers,  132. 

Boutwell,  George  S.,  183,  203,  209. 

Bowers,  A.,  185  ;  Adelaide,  264  ;  Al- 
pheus,  264  ;  Eliza,  264;  James,  225  ; 
John,  33  ;  Joseph  A.,  264  ;  Julia,  264. 

Bowker,  183. 

Bradford,  Mass.,  51,  226. 

Bradford,  Alden,  196;  Moses,  157. 

Brady,  Frederick,  192. 

Brattle  End,  7. 

Brattle  Farm,  7,  8,  76,  77,  108. 

Brattle,  Thomas,  5,  7-10,  12,  22,  26,  27, 
in,  283. 

Breed,  Eliphalet,  151. 

Brentnal,  51. 

Brenton,  Wm.,  5,  6,  n,  12,  15,  16,  19, 
56. 

Brentwood,  N.  H.,  197. 

Brewer,  Mr.,  80,  81. 

Brian,  Wm.,  122. 

Bridgemeadow  Brook,  102,  104. 

Bridge,  Eben'r,  113,  136;  John,  142. 

Brigham,  Abby  A.,  275  ;  Edward  D., 
275;  Eliza  C.,  275  ;  Levi,  171,  180- 
183,  186,  275  ;  Mary,  275  ;  Mary  L., 
275. 


INDEX. 


301 


Briggs,  Geo.  N.,  181,  183,  187. 

Brinley,  28  ;  Robert,  212. 

Britain,  Great,  119,  290. 

Brookfield,  Mass.,  50. 

Brookline,  N.  H.,  11,  57,  68,  226,  282. 

Brooks,  Edwin  H.,  226 ;  Lawrence, 
186,  187,  226. 

Brown,  125  ;  Jno.,  118;  Leonard,  269; 
Sam'l,  113,  117,  118,  125,  127,  237. 

Bruce,  Jno.,  144,  157;  Michael,  174. 

Buck,  John,  75. 

Buck  Meadow,  62,  64,  1 1  r. 

Bulkley,  John,  76;  Peter,  12,  263. 

Bullard,  Benjamin,  125  ;  John,  156, 157. 

Bunker  Hill,  113, 139-141,  147. 

Burbank,  John,  42. 

Burdens  of  2d  Parish,  126,  127,  132. 

Burgoyne,  John,  135,  139. 

Burial-place,  95,  148,  182,  187,  198. 

Burmah,  225. 

Bitmap,  Jacob,  183,  186;  James  T, 
72,  187-189,  197,  199,  205,  214. 

Burning  of  old  church,  181. 

Burrows,  Charles,  192. 

Butler,  Benjamin  F.,  188  ;  Caleb,  32, 
48,  64,  82,  129,  144,  155,  220. 

Butman,  Alpha,  265  ;  Alvin,  265  ;  El- 
bridge,  265  ;  Geo.  E.,  265 ;  Susan, 
265  ;  Susan  M.,  265. 

Burying-cloth,  157. 

Butterfield,  7,  36;  Abigail,  252,  277; 
Abner  R.,  151  ;  Alice,  77;  Asa,  171, 
1 86,  262,  277;  Asa  T.,  182,  226; 
Asenath,  274 ;  Benjamin,  98,  106, 
214  ;  Catharine,  271,  277  ;  Charles, 
217  ;  Charles  A.,  263  ;  David,  172  ; 
Dexter,  69,  72,  78,  91,  104,  112,  192, 
201-203,  226,  228  ;  Ebene'r,  56,  77, 
86,  94,  97,  116,  118,  125,  127,270, 
273,  274  ;  Edward,  112  ;  Elizabeth, 
273  ;  Esther,  273  ;  Frederick,  274  ; 
Henry,  263  ;  Jacob,  in  ;  James,  123, 
274;  Jesse,  112,  116,  118,  120,  125, 
127,  132,  142,  270  ;  Joanna,  229,  271  ; 
John,  230,  271,  273 ;  Jonas,  116,  117, 
121,  125,  270,  273  ;  Jonathan,  101, 
j>  214  ;  Joseph,  34,  39,  ]f,  101,  io5, 
no,  146,  152,  172,  214,  273  ;  Joseph 
P.,  274  ;  Leonard,  in,  117,  118,  123, 
125,  127,  132,  141,  159,  173,  186,  214, 
229,  230,  252,  262,  263,  268-271,  277, 
289;  Leonard  S.,  182,  186 ;  Levi, 
129  ;  Lucy  W.,  263  ;  Mary,  252,  268, 
273,  274,  277  ;  May  A.,  262  ;  Martha, 
D.,  216;  Olive,  230,  269,  271  ;  Pame- 
lia  T.,  262;  Philip,  112,  116,  118, 
120,  125,  132,  141,  155,  158,  159,268, 
270,  274  ;  Polly,  274,  277  ;  Rebecca, 
273  ;  Reuben,  101,  106, 116,  119-121, 
129,  151,  214,  273,  289,  290;  Rhoda, 


274;  Sally,    159,   230;   Samuel,  35, 
36.   118,   122,  127,  270;  Sarah,  252, 
270,    271,    273,.  277  ;    Welbe,   131  ; 
Wm.,  76. 
Buttrick,  Jno.,  172  ;  Sally,  216. 


Caldwell,  John,  171. 

Call  to  Mr.  Goodhue,  92 ;  Mr.  Hey- 

wood,  157. 
Cambridge,   Mass.,   28,   in,   124-127, 

132,  139,  151,  285,  289. 
Canada,  35,  40,  42,  50,  120,  147. 
Cannon  of  discord,  148. 
Canton,  N.  Y.,  217. 
Cape  Breton,  79,  98. 
Captains,  list  of,  212,  213. 
Carkin,  Albert   B.,  226  ;    Amos,   186, 

226 ;  Harrison,  192. 
Carter,  Benj.,  42  ;  Michel,  159. 
Caulkins,  F.  M.,  14. 
Cemetery,  Central,  165-167,  173,  181, 

182,  236,  237. 
Chamberlain,  John,  44,  47  ;  Thos.,  74, 

75- 

Chambers,  Matthew,  234. 
Chandler,  Moses,    118;    Rhoda,    240; 

William,  240 ;  William  P.,  240. 
Chapman,!  >avis,  159,  162, 165, 173,  185, 

270;  E.G., 84,  185,226;  Elijah,  162. 
Chaplin,  David,  156,  157,  166. 
Character  of  the  people,  71,  200. 
Character  of  Mr.  Goodhue,  109. 
Character  of  Mr.  Goodman,  179. 
Charles  I,  12. 
Charles  River,  5. 
Charleston,  S.  C.,  194. 
Charlestown,  Mass.,  115,  125,  175,201, 

250. 

Charlestown  Grant,  7,  281. 
Chase,  George  W.,  10. 
Cheever,  Amos,  38 ;  Alvin,  192. 
Chelmsford,  Mass.,  6,  7,  10,  16.  21-23, 

31.  34,  53,  55.  63,  70,  76,  77,  87,  106, 

124,  115,  136,  147,  167,  215. 
Cheney,     Abigail,    275 ;    Betsy,   275 ; 

Elizabeth,  250,  275;  Emma  J.,  226; 

Fanny   P.,   267;    Frances   M.,    267; 

Isaac,  275;  John,  98,  112,  117,  126, 

128,  132,  137,  138,  140,  145,  159, 163, 

250,  275,  294;    John   B.,   182,  226; 

Kendall,    162,    275;    Luther,    275; 

Matilda.  267;  Rebecca,  275  ;  Rhoda, 

275  ;    Sarah,   275  ;    Susannah,    275  ; 

Thomas  F.,  98,   182.  184,  187,   188, 

196,  199,  226,  267;  William  F.,  226. 
Chesterfield,  Mass.,  147  ;  N.  H.,"  218. 
Chicago,  217,  226. 


302 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


Chicopee,  Mass.,  188. 
Child,  L.  M.,  59. 
Choristers  first  chosen,  103. 
Church  covenant,  93  ;  organized,  28, 93. 
Clark  family,  202-204,  210. 
Clay,  Henry,  220,  297. 
Coburn,  Abel,  137;  Caleb,  152;  Dor- 
cas, 129;  Eleazer,  152. 
Cockle,  John,  112. 
Coffin,  Enoch,  38,  39. 
Coggin,  Mr.,  145. 
Coggswell,  William,  171. 
Colburn,  55;   Edward,   n,  30;  Ezra, 
102  ;  Isaac,  75,  83  ;  James,  84  ;  Jer- 
almeel,    112;     Jeremiah,    82,    224; 
Oliver,   75,   87,    102 ;    Samuel,   39 ; 
Thomas,  43,  232  ;  Timothy,  82. 
Cold  seasons,  144,  165,  168,  179. 
Cole,  Anna,  7. 
Colesworthy,  D.  C.,  73. 
College  graduates,  216. 
Colonels,  214. 

Committee  of  inspection,  in. 
Committee  correspondence,  113. 
Committee  of  schools  first  chosen,  162. 
Compact  of  first  settlers,  16. 
Concord,  Mass.,  19,  23,  44,  45,  47,  55, 

107,  113,  158,  203,  288. 
Concord,  N.  H.,  17. 
Concord  River,  17,  19,  20,  29,  32,  102. 
Confession  of  faith,  175. 
Connecticut,  123,284,285;  River,  148. 
Constantinople,  196. 
Contest  as  to  meeting-house,  79. 
Contocook,  31,  45,  287. 
Converse,  James,  31. 
Conway,  Michael,  192. 
Coombs,  David  M.,  172  ;  Jonathan,  41, 

Samuel,  9. 
Cook,   an    Indian,  137 ;    Andrew,    17 ; 

Francis,  283. 
Cooper,  Thomas,  108. 
Corey,  Elsie,  159 
Cornet  Band,  188. 
Cornwallis,  Lord,  137,  138. 
Cotton,  Josiah,  92. 
Cowell,  Edward,  7,  62,  108. 
Cowley,  Charles,  21. 
Cowpen  Brook,  62,  96,  100. 
Crag  Rock,  39. 
Cranmer,  Archbishop,  13. 
Crockett,  \ioses  W.,  254. 
Cromwell,  John,  15;  Oliver,  32. 
Cross,  55  ;  Nathan,  41,  42,  288. 
Cummings,  35,  36,   55,  71,  72,  83,  87  ; 
Abigail,  76  ;    Abraham.  32  ;    Allen, 
173,  186,  188,  214,  226,276;  Asenath, 
274;    Betsey,   276;    Catharine,  241, 
269  ;•  Charlotte,  276 ;  Ebenezer,  41, 
42,  232,  288  ;  Elizabeth,  94,  230,  249, 


274;  Esther,  241,  269;  Everett.  M., 
226;  Henry,  157  ;  Isaac,  17,  162,276; 
Isaac  P.,  182,  186,  226;  Israel  W., 
276;  J.,  185;  James,  116,  118-120, 
125,  132,  138,  148,  158,  160,  186,  275, 
276;  Jephtha,  201  ;  Jeremiah,  101, 
104,  159,  241,  248,  274,  275;  Joel, 
214,  268;  John,  17.  27,  28,  32,  34, 
37.75-77.90.  94,  96,  108,  112,  116, 
118,  125,  128,  143,  151,  154, 159,  162, 
181,  214,  229,  230,  286;  Mrs.  John, 
185  ;  John  A.,  226 ;  Jonathan,  56  ; 
Josiah,  43,  117,  139,  158,  177,  180, 
186,  212,  214,  240,  241,  259,  269,275, 
276 ;  Mrs.  Josiah,  241  ;  Josiah  T., 
117,  138,  139,  186,  226,  240,  263,  276; 
Loraine,  276;  Lucinda,  276 ;  Lydia, 
274  ;  Mary,  94,  275  ;  Molly,  230  ;  Na- 
thaniel, 8,  32,  56,  75-77,  147.  153. 
159,  160,  162,  163,  166,  226,  241,  269, 
275,  294 ;  Mrs.  Nathaniel,  144 ;  Ol- 
ive, 276;  Oliver,  115-119,  121-125, 
127,  138,  139,  143-145.  J57,  f66.  214, 
226,  241,  269,  275,  276  ;  Polly,  274, 
276 ;  Rachael,  249,  274 ;  Rebecca, 

240,  241,  259,  263,  269  ;  Rhoda,  276 ; 
Samuel,  83,  85,  86,  94,  99,  103  ;  Sa- 
rah, 28,  94,  240,  248,  249,  268,  269, 
273,  274,  276 ;  Sarah  Ann,  240  ;  Sim- 
eon, 116,  i^,  121,  123,  125,  127,  160, 
161,  248,  249,  269,  273  ;  Sybil,  166, 

241,  269,  275,  276  ;  Thomas,  8,   17, 
28,  32,  56,  233  ;   William,  44,  45.  56  ; 
William  W.,  195,  263. 

Currier,  Warren,  193. 
Curtis,  George  W.,  14. 
Cushing,  Thomas,  137,  142. 
Cutler,  Nathan,  215. 
Cuttah-huno-a-muck,  8. 


Daglish,  John  J.,  193. 

Dalyn,  Simon,  193. 

Damon,  Lucy,  269. 

Danbury,  Conn.,  123. 

Dane,  William,  172. 

Danforth,  Asa,  217  ;  Caroline  F.,  226  ; 
Francis,  178  ;  Jonathan,  8,  10,  n, 
62,  64,  in  ;  Joseph,  77,  87,  90,  96, 
99,  101-103,  108,  in,  117,  118,  125, 
128,  130-132,  148,  152,  154,  289; 
Josiah,  nr,  116,  118,  125,  146,  151, 
154, 172,217;  Rebecca,  in  ;  Samuel, 
39,  in,  297  ;  Vilas,  226. 

Danforth  place,  in. 

Dark  day,  133. 

Darling,  David,  172  ;  David  L.,  226. 


INDEX. 


303 


Davis,  Aaron,  172  ;  Abbie  L.,  263 ;  Abi- 
jah  184  ;  Ancil,  193  ;  Bridget,  261  ; 
Eleazer,  44,  48  ;  Frances  E.,  261  ; 
Isaac,  181,  188  ;  Jacob,  112  ;  James, 
A.,  193,  203,  226  ;  John  Joseph,  74  ; 
Josiah,  44,  47,  49  ;  Joshua  T.,  182  ; 
Lydia  K.,  263;  Mial,  180, 186;  Moses, 
226,  261  ;  Samuel,  26,  172  ;  Susan, 
261  ;  Thaddeus,  261  ;  Thaddeus  U., 
226,  263  ;  William,  7,  125,  281 ;  Wil- 
liam A.,  226. 

Day,  Luke,  147. 

Deacons  chosen,  96,  215. 

Dean,  John  Ward,  2  ;  Paul,  172. 

Death  of  Mr.  Weld,  33  ;  Mr.  Prentice, 
57 ;  oldest  person,  180 ;  Joe  Eng- 
lish, 36  ;  Capt.  Lovewell,  46  ;  Silas 
Johnson,  166  ;  Paugus,  47  ;  Mr.  Hey- 
wood,  167. 

Deaths,  list  of,  268-270. 

Declaration  of  Peace  celebrated,  167. 

Dedham,  Mass.,  215. 

Dedication  of  meeting-house,  156,  178. 

Deed  of  land  for  meeting-house,  154. 

Deerfield,  N.  H.,  54. 

Denver,  217. 

Departure  of  praying  Indians,  25. 

Depreciation  of  currency,  136. 

Description  of  Dunstable,  14. 

Didson,  John,  102. 

Dickinson,  89  ;  Jonathan,  125. 

Dinah,  91. 

Dismemberment  of  Dunstable,  55. 

Disruption  at  the  Gulf,  64. 

Divoll.  Charles  B.,  226 ;  Ellen,  261. 

Dix,  Joseph,  142, 143, 146,  152;  Samuel, 
148. 

Donahue,  Patrick,  193. 

Donation  of  Mrs.  Winslow,  148. 

Dorchester,  Mass.,  126,  127,  168. 

Douley,  Joseph,  193. 

Dover,  N.  H.,  29,  30,  36,  287. 

Downing,  James  L.,  226. 

Doyle,  James,  193. 

Dracut,  Mass,  n,  39,  50,  79,  82,99, 
103,  124,  165. 

Drake,  18,  20. 

Dram  Cup  Hill,  7,  10. 

Drinking  customs,  144. 

Dudley,  Joseph,  283,  296. 

Dunn,  Anna,  266,  276  ;  Edward,  116- 
118,  125,  266,  269,  276;  Jane,  230, 
273  ;  Mary,  273  ;  Samuel,  230  ; 
Rachel,  273  ;  Robert,  116,  118,  12=5, 
128,  156,  230,  273 ;  Sally,  266  ;  Wil- 
liam, 266,  276. 

Dunstable,  England,  12,  13,  178,  282, 
296. 

Dunstable,  N.  H.,  156. 

Dui-in,  William  H.,  182,  185,  187. 


Duston,  Hannah,  31,  45,  287. 
Dutton,  Charles,  216  ;  Jesse,  116,  118, 
125,  128,  230  ;  Polly,  230. 


E 


Earle,  A.  B  ,  221. 

Early  manners  and  customs,  283. 

Early  settlements,  5. 

Early  settlers,  17,  283. 

Eastman,  Amos,  159,  160. 

Eaton  (Madison),  N.  H.,  196. 

Eaton,  Joseph,  73,  75,  78. 

Edwards,  Thomas,  9. 

Eldredge,  Almira,  275  ;  Clifton  B.,  275; 
Erasmus  D.,  217,  218,  275  ;  Frank 
A.,  193  ;  Frederick  A.,  217,  275  ; 
Hezekiah,  179,  216,  225,  275;  Horace 
W.,  275  ;  Lucius  O.,  275  ;  Mary  A., 
275  ;  Micah,  159,  162,  163,  169,  170, 
173,  175,  212,  215-217,  275,  294  ; 
Micah  R.,  275  ;  Milburn  F.,  275  ; 
Olney,  275  ;  Sally,  217,  275. 

Eliot,  John,  18-21,  25. 

Emerson,  Allen,  159,  274;  Asa,  129; 
Daniel,  93,  95,  118,  156,  220  ;  Han- 
nah, 230,  272  ;  Jonathan,  1 18,  132, 
133,  142,  159,  164,  230,  241,  268, 
269,  272,  274  ;  Joseph,  79,  87,  95  ; 
Lucinda,  274  ;  Mary,  241,  274  ;  Polly, 
274  ;  Rachel,  274  ;  Roxana,  269. 

Endecott,  John,  12,  282. 

English,  ]oe,,gif2&7.    J  l^  f3  »  • 

Epitaphs,  curious,  42. 

Equipments  of  soldiers,  117. 

Erzeroom,  196. 

Essex,  50,  288 

Estabrook,  Benjamin,  166  ;  Moses,  75 ; 
Thomas,  75,  101. 

Euered,  John,  21. 

Eustis,  William,  175. 

Evans,  Benjamin,  122. 

Everett,  Edward,  176,  177,  179,  180. 

Expedition  to  Pequawkett,  34,  44. 

Expedition  of  John  Lovewell,  43. 

Extract  from  Lovewell's  Journal,  43. 

Fairbanks,  Jabez,  41. 

Fales,  Jesse,  171. 


Falmouth,  Va.,  195. 
Families  of  Joint  Grass, 


83- 


Family  of  Danforth,  1 1 1. 
Farm  of  Z.  Kendall,  222. 
Farmer,  Aaron,  116,  118,  126;  John, 

33'    34.    5'.    53.  259;    Lucv»    259 ; 

Molly,  259. 

Farmington,  Me,  142. 
Farnham,  George,  277. 
Farnsworth,  A,  185;  Oliver,  95. 


304 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


Farrar,  Edward,  193  ;  Jacob,  44,  48, 
49;  Joseph,  44,  112. 

Fast  Day,  150. 

Farwell,  37,  289  ;  Benjamin,  74,  715.  $7, 
101,  102  ;  Eleazer,  101,  129;  Eliza- 
beth, 235  ;  Henry,  17,  37,  43,  50,  56, 
75,  76,  1 14,  141,  214 ;  Isaac,  41,  235  ; 
John,  129,  151,  217;  Jonathan,  101  ; 
Joseph,  37,  232  ;  Josiah,  41-44,  47, 
48,  52,  76,  78,  288  ;  Oliver,  42,  74, 
75,  90,  151,  288  ;  Sarah,  235. 

Fay,  William,  175. 

Ferry-boat,  102. 

Fife,  Mr.,  225. 

Fight  at  Pequawkett,  45. 

Finley,  Michael,  193. 

First  white  settler,  15. 

Fish  abundant,  103. 

Fish,  Ransom,  177. 

Fisher,  Jabez  P.,  56,  156,  169. 

Flagg,  Colonel,  49  ;  John,  172. 

Flat  Rock  Hill,  67,  69,  96,  100,  109. 

Fletcher,  71,  80,  81  ;  Abigail,  247  ;  Al- 
bert M.,  226;  Albert  W.,  193  ;  Alice, 
245,  246,  264,  276 ;  Anna,  245,  276 ; 
Betsy,  276;  Caty,  246;  Catharine, 
246 ;  Charles  B.,  218  ;  Charlotte,  245, 
276;  Daniel,  102,  122;  David,  155, 
272;  Elijah,  101,  113, 149,  172  ;  Eliza- 
beth, 83,  84,  no,  178,  246,  268,  272  ; 
Elizabeth  U.,  273,  274;  Ezra,  171  ; 
Francis,  70,  162,  176,  184,  199,  225, 
226,  230,  244,  245,  270,  272  ;  George 
W.,  178,  182,  201,  214,  227,  258; 
Hannah,  244,  245,  270 ;  Hannah  P., 
245;  Indiane,  276;  Isaac,  217,  218, 
273  ;  Jacob,  101,  289  ;  James  K.,  277  ; 
Jane,  264,  276;  Jonathan,  108,  116, 
122,  125,  126,  128,  129,  131,  132,  137, 
138,  142,  153.  l66»  2I4,  230,  246,  274  ; 
Joseph,  72,  83, 90,  91,  94,  96,  97,  100, 
103,  1 08,  no,  1 1 8,  128,  132,  152,  155, 
I58,  159.  178,  199,  215,  217,  2  r8,  246, 
247,  268,  273,  274;  Leonard,  274; 
Luanda,  246,  273 ;  Lucy,  183,  246, 
268,  274,  276;  Mark,  162,  165,  170, 
175,  178,  184,  214,  215,  217,  257, 
276;  Mary  B.,  258;  Molly,  218; 
Molly  C.,  273;  Nancy  C,  178,  257; 
Nathaniel,  147,  214,  244,  272  ;  Patt)', 
272;  Paul,  34;  Phineas,  116,  118, 
125,  155,  159,  161,  178,217,  245,  246, 
264,  276  ;  Rachel,  146,  244,  269,  272  ; 
Rachel  S.,  270;  Rebecca,  244,  272; 
Rhoda,  178,  184,  257,  270,  277  ;  Rob- 
ert, 101  ;  Sally,  245  ;  Sally  A.,  258, 
276;  Samuel,  43,  101,  160,  270,274, 
277;  Samuel  M.,  178,  217,  258; 
Sewall,  245,  276  ;  Submit,  244  ;  Su- 
san, 141,  230,  274,  277  ;  Susan  L., 


178 ;  Thomas,  117,  118,  128,  146, 
199,  230,  244,  268,  272 ;  William, 
230. 

Flint,  Charles,  151. 

Ford,  John,  115,  140. 

Foreigners  as  substitutes,  122. 

Forest   Hill,   62,  68,  69,  77,  109,  166, 
1 86. 

Forest  trees,  71. 

Fort  HiM,  21. 

Fort  Powncll,  108  ;  Wagner,  194. 

Fortifications,  78. 

Foss,  Charles  V.,  193. 

Foster,  Andrew,  56,  74,  75  ;  E.  B.,  197  ; 
B.  F.,  218;  John,  159. 

Fox,  Capt.,  124,  125  ;  Charles  J.,  84. 

Frankfort,  Ky.,  220. 

Frederick,  Thomas,  182. 

Frederick,  Md.,  195,  258. 

French,  71,  289;  Abigail,  269,  274; 
Alice,  75;  Benjamin,  72,  75,  114, 
140,  146,  181,  182,  186-188,  197,  198, 
2or,  202,  214,  232,  277  ;  Betty,  268, 
276  ;  Bridget,  233,  234  ;  Charlotte, 
J39t  273  J  Ebenezer,  28,  41,  75,  98, 
104,  108,  112,  114,  116,  117,  128,  132, 
136,  140,  146,  157,  186,  229,  230,268, 
269,  273,  288  ;  Eleazer,  112,  114,  140, 
274  ;  Elizabeth,  233  ;  Esther,  76  ; 
Isaac,  233  ;  James,  98 ;  Jefferson, 
172  ;  John,  28.  56,  72,  74,  75,  77,  78, 
112,  140,  159,  162,  230,  254,  268-270, 
273,  276  ;  John  H.,  254  ;  John  M., 
173;  Jonas,  114,  116,  118,  125,  129, 
131,  139,  140,  148,  151,  160,  171,  252, 
268,  270,  276  ;  Jonas  H.,  140  ;  Jonas 
J.,  270;  Jonathan,  28,  114,  117,  118, 
125,  128,  140,  232,  274  ;  Joseph,  75, 
101,  ill,  233,  234  ;  Joseph  A.,  252  ; 
Mary,  232,  270  ;  Mary  D.,  230,  269  ; 
Martha,  252,  270  ;  Molly,  232  ;  Polly, 
276;  Samuel,  17,  28,  32-34,  75,  114, 
116,  118,  125,  128,  140  ;  Sarah,  140, 
229,  254,  268,  273  ;  Susan  F.,  254  ; 
Susanna,  230,  269,  273  ;  William,  28, 
75,  112,  117,  118,  125,  128,  186,  270, 
276  ;  William  L.,  227. 
Frost,  Ebenezer,  172;  Salathiel,  129; 

Thomas,  56,  75. 
Frothingham,  R.,  112. 
Frye,  James,  47  ;  Jonathan,  44-48,  53, 

288,  289. 

Fryeburg,  Me.,  47,  48,  289. 
Fullam,  Jacob,  44,  47,  49,  53. 


G 

Gage,  Thomas,  107. 

Gale  of  September,  1815,  168. 


INDEX. 


305 


Galusha,  Daniel,  32,  34,  36  ;  Rachel, 

36. 

Garland,  D.  W.,  186. 
Garrisons,  21,  37. 
Geology  and  mineralogy-,  69. 
George  III,  113. 
Gerry,  El  bridge,  160. 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  195. 
Gibbs,  Robert,  9. 
Gibson,  Nathaniel,  172. 
Gile,  Truman,  264  ;  Zerviah,  264. 
Gilman,  Josiah,  190. 
Gilson,   Alvah,   186,  227  ;   Andrew  J., 
227  ;  Asahiel,  227  ;  C.,  186  ;  Daniel, 
129  ;  Eagen  J.,  260  ;  Ebenezer,  186  ; 
George  F.,  227  ;  Isaac,  164 ;  James 
H.,  193,  227  ;  Jerome  F.,  227  ;  Joel, 
182,    185,   227,   261  ;   John,   45,   98  ; 
Joseph,  45,  98 ;  Louisa,  261  ;  Lucien 
E.,  261  ;  Nathaniel,  171  ;  Nathaniel 
W.,  314  ;  Nehemiah,  153,  162,  164, 
172;  Oliver,  163;  Peter,  159;  Sam- 
uel, 184  ;  William,  182. 
Girardeau,  Cape,  261. 
Glenne,  William,  112. 
Glynn,  Moses,  172. 
Goffe,  John,  45,  98,  289. 
Goldsmith,  Oliver,  59. 
Goodhue,  Ebenezer,   no,  272;  Eliza, 
no,  272;  Elizabeth,  94,  229,  272; 
Joseph,   no,  272,   229;   Josiah,  92, 
94,  95,  101,  102,  104,  109,  no,  118, 
126,  171,  217,  229,  272;  Nathaniel, 
no;  Samuel  B.,  no,  212. 
Goodman,  Eldad  W.,  171,  178,  179. 
Goodsell,  Dana,  180. 
Gook,  George,  227. 
Gookin,  Daniel,  21. 
Gordon,  James,  90  ;  William,  101,  102, 

104,  no,  m,  143,  289. 
Goss,  Elbridge  H.,  134 ;  Joseph  W., 

227. 

Gould,   David,    152;     Margaret,    53; 
Noah  M.,  129;  Samuel,  17,29,  101. 
Gray,  Thomas,  89. 
Grant  of  Thomas  Brattle,  7. 
Grants  to  early  settlers,  6. 
Grantville,  Mass.,  147. 
Great  Britain,  132,  143. 
Great  Naacook  Brook,  62. 
Greeley,  55  ;  Jane,  234 ;  Samuel,  234. 
Green,   Hannah  P.,  257  ;  Oliver,  116, 
118  ;  Rufus  K.,  257  ;  Samuel  A.,  31 ; 
Sarah  A.,  257. 
Greenwood,  F.  W.  P.,  106. 
Grist  mill,  32. 
Guide  posts,  189. 

Gulf  at  Massapoag  Pond,  32, 61,  63-65. 

Groton,  Mass.,  6,  9,  10,  n,  22,  26,  28, 

3'.  32,  35.  4',  44,  45,  47,  4§,  5°,  59. 


62-64,  67,  68,  76-87,  96,  98,  loo,  107, 
108,  114,  129,  137,  152,  155,  156,  160, 
1 66,  172,  175,  283,  288,  297. 
Groton  families  set  off  to  Dunstable,  85. 


Haddock,  John,  102,  151. 
Hale,  Henry,  182  ;  Salma,  40. 
Haley,  Edward,  227. 
Half-way  covenant,  95. 
Hall,  Ira,  183,  185,  214,  227;  Ira  B., 
198,  199,  201,  227;  Willard,  87, 101, 

!33- 

Hamblett,  John,  102  ;  Susannah,  140. 

Hampton,  N.  H.,  217. 

Hancock,  John,  135,  137,  138,  142. 

Hannibal,  148. 

Hardy,  Betty,  274 ;  Daniel,  274  ;  Han- 
nah, 274  ;  Jesse,  274 ;  Job,  274 ; 
Lydia,  274 ;  Miriam,  268,  274  ;  Moses, 
116,  118,  125,  128,  268,  269,  274; 
Polly,  274  ;  Sarah,  274 ;  Simeon,  274; 
William,  159,  274. 

Harrington,  Richard,  162. 

Harrison,  Gen.,  165. 

Hartford,  Conn.,  260. 

Hartshorn,  Levi,  168. 

Hartwell,  Alonzo,  193 ;  O.,  269 ;  Ra- 
chel, 269 ;  Warren,  193. 

Harward,  83  ;  John,  44,  47,  49,  98  ; 
William,  8,  32. 

Harvard,  Mass.,  83 

Harvard,  Charlotte,  233  ;  Jonathan,  233. 

Hassell,  Anna,  30 ;  Benjamin,  30,  44, 
49 ;  Joseph,  17,  28,  30,  32,  34,  35, 
287 ;  Richard,  35. 

Hatfield,  Mass.,  147. 

Haunted  House,  23. 

Haverhill,  Mass.,  6,  43,  45,  287,  288. 

Hayward,  John,  181. 

Haywood,  Jemima,  95;  John,  ill; 
Susannah,  84. 

Hazen,  Richard,  73. 

Heads  of  families  in  1698,  32  ;  in  1856, 
184. 

Heath,  William,  124. 

Hemenway,  Phineas,  95. 

Henley,  Col.,  124. 

Henchman,  Thomas,  16,  22,  29-31,  212. 

Henry  I,  12;  Henry  VIII,  13. 

Heroism  of  the  town,  286 ;  of  Jonathan 
Tyng,  23. 

Heywood,  Joshua,  157,  161,  163-167, 
171,  176,  212,  245,  269,  294,  295. 

Hickey,  James,  193. 

Higby,  Christopher,  122. 

Hill,  55;  Isabella,  218;  Enoch,  234; 
Nathaniel,  49;  Ruth,  234. 


306 


HISTORY  OF  DUNS  TABLE. 


Hills  of  Dunstable,  67. 

Hinds,  Hiram  H.,  193. 

Hitten,  Isaac,  122. 

Hoar,  E.  R.,  203,  209. 

Hobbes,  George,  193 ;  Nancy,  254,  270. 

Hogg,  106. 

Hoi  brook,  Silas  P.,  195. 

Hcdden,  Jonathan,  106;  Mary,  152 ; 
Nathaniel,  108,  111-113,  116,  120, 
124,  129,  142,  149,  151,  215,  289. 

Hollis,  N.  H.,  1 1,  57,  60,  67,  68,  83,  84, 
93,  142,  156,  215,  220,  282. 

Holyoke,  Elizur,  92. 

Hooper,  William,  190. 

Hopkinton,  Mass.,  147. 

Horse  Hill,  68. 

Hound  Meadow  Hill,  68. 

Houston,  Catharinah,  235  ;  Ovid,  143, 

235- 

Hovey,  James  P.,  150. 
How  Dunstable  was  formed,  283. 
Howard,    Nathaniel,  30 ;  Samuel,   75, 

78,  102,  234;  Thomas,  56,  75. 
Howard's  or  Holden's  Brook,  27,  30, 

36,  61,  62,  76,  78,  in,  215. 
Howe,    A.    W.,    117,    183,    216,    263; 

Harry  D.,  263 ;  M.  D.,  263. 
Hubbard,  William,  168. 
Hudson,  Charles,  278. 
Hudson,  N.  Y.,  7,  H,  55,  282. 
Hulbert,  Ebenezer,  45. 
Hunt,  Israel,   171,  203,  210;  Samuel, 

38,  294. 

Hunter,  George,  193. 
Hutchinson,   Amos,    173;   Elisha,   26, 

283  ;  Thomas,  12,  19. 


Incorporation  of  Dunstable,  10. 

Incorporation  of  Hollis,  57. 

Indian  massacres,  36. 

Indian  mortar,  18. 

Indian  pow-wows,  21. 

Indian  relics,  65. 

Indians  of  Massachusetts,  17. 

Indians'  mode  of  life,  17. 

Industrial   condition  of  Dunstable  in 

1865,  191. 
Ingalls,  Abigail,  275  ;  Daniel,  171,  275; 

Eleazer  F.,  171,  275  ;  Huldah,  275  ; 

James,    162,    172,  275 ;    Joel,    275 ; 

John,   101,   157,   275  ;   Joseph,    172, 

275;    Mary,  275;    Nathaniel,    129; 

Sally,  225,  275* 
Inscriptions    on  Meeting-House   Hill, 

228-231. 
Inscriptions  in  the  Tyng  burial-place, 

231. 


Inscriptions   at   Little's   Station,  232- 

235- 
Inscriptions  in  cemetery,  near  A.  Sw.il- 

low's,  235. 
Inscriptions  in  Central  Cemetery,  236- 

268. 

Installation  of  Mr.  Adams,  183. 
Installation  of  Mr.  Goodman,   178. 
Installation  of  Mr.  Jackson,  188. 
Installation  of  Mr.  Tolman,  175. 
Instructions  to  representatives,  1 19. 
Introduction  of  the  potato,  87. 
Ipswich,  Mass.,  37. 


Jackson,  Abbie  I.,  197  ;  Andrew,  167, 
220, 297  ;  Charlotte  E.,  197  ;  Edward 
P.,  194,  197  ;  Florence  C.,  197  ; 
George  W.,  197  ;  Julia  S.,  197  ;  Mary 
R,  197  ;  William  C.,  171,  188,  196. 

James  II,  296. 

Jaques,  Daniel  H.,  67,  129,  142  ;  Han- 
nah, 142. 

Jaquish,  Josiah,  194. 

Jaquith,  Abigail,  270  ;  Adford,  75,  77, 
87,91,  94,  101,  109,  118,  128,  230, 
270;  Benjamin,  116,  118,  122,  125, 
128,  270  ;  Daniel,  172  ;  Elizabeth, 
270  ;  Hannah,  270  ;  John,  270  ;  Mar- 
garet, 230,  270 ;  Mary,  270 ;  Re- 
becca, 270 ;  Sarah,  270. 

Jefts,  John,  44,  47,  49. 

Jeremie's  Hill,  n. 

Jewell,  Benoni,  101  ;  Caleb  G.,  261  ; 
James,  8,  101  ;  Nathaniel,  80,  8l  ; 
Thomas,  8,  101. 

Jewett,  A.,  186,  188,  227  ;  David,  171  ; 
Enoch,  118  ;  John  W.,  182. 

Jilson,  Joel,  184. 

Joe,  English,  32,  36. 

Johnson,  42,  289  ;  Abel,  164,  171,  215, 
227  ;  Edward,  6,  281  ;  Ephraim,  171, 
245,  277 ;  George,  171  ;  Ichabod, 
44,  47,  49  ;  Isaac,  7  ;  Jesse,  171,  182, 
2I5i  277  ;  Josiah,  44  ;  Lucy,  277  ; 
Noah,  44,  56 ;  Rebecca,  166,  245, 
270,  276  ;  Silas,  159,  166,  245,  269, 
270,  276. 

Joint  Grass,  78,  80,  81,  83-85,  87,  218. 

Joint  Grass  Brook,  6l. 

Joliffe,  John,  9. 

Jones,  Cormely  R.,  194  ;  Josiah,  44, 
48. 

K 

Kahoe,  Michael,  194. 
Kanapatune,  7. 


INDEX. 


307 


Kateley,  J.  H.,  186. 

Katharine  of  Arragon. 

Keene,  N.  H.,  28. 

Kelleiky,  James,  194. 

Kemp,  Hiram,   172,  201  ;  I.  N.,  185  ; 

I.  W.,  185;  Levi,  172  ;  W.  N.,  201, 

227. 
Kendall,  91  ;    Abigail,  238,  269,  272, 

276  ;  Abraham,  74,  75,  92,  94,  96,  99, 
102,  108, 118,  121,  123,  126,  128,  131, 
!32,  H3.  H4,  154-  220,  229-231,  251, 
268,  270,  275 ;   Alice,  272  ;    Almon 
M.,  227  ;  Alvah,  264  ;  Amanda,  225, 
277;  Amos,  76,  208,  212,  217,  220, 
222-224,   275,    297 ;    Andrew,   269  ; 
Andrew  T.,  182,  227.  238,  276  ;  Anna, 
272;  Ann  M.,  264;  Asa,   102,  115, 
117,  121,  270,  272  ;  B  ,  173  ;  Benja- 
min, 160,  272  ;  Betsy,  264  ;  Caroline 
P.,  258 ;  Catharine,  225, 272  ;  Charles, 
238,  276;  Chiles,  175,  183,  186,  215, 
227,  277  ;  Cummings,  276 ;   Daniel, 
56 ;  David,  56,  272  ;    Deborah,  232, 
272  ;  Ebenezer,  74,  75,  78,  80,  81,  86, 
90,  92,  94,  99,  216,  220,  237,  268,  270, 
286  ;  Edward,  99,  103,  117,  118,  122, 
126,    128,    1 66,  220,   237,  269,   272  ; 
Elizabeth,  225,  237,   250,    268,   272, 

277  ;   Ellen  E.,  226  ;  Elmina,   277  ; 
Elmira,  166,  258 ;  Esther,  272  ;  Ezra, 
272  ;  Francis,  220  ;  George  M.,  275  ; 
Oilman,  264  ;  Hannah,  94,  237,  251, 
268-271,  275  ;  Hannah  A.,  251  ;  Han- 
nah J.,  260  ;  Harriet  L.,  264  ;  Heze- 
kiah,    112,    270;    Hiram    G.,   260; 
Hiram  R.,  195  ;  Isaac,  125,  147,  183, 
188,214,227,  251,  263,  270,  272,  275, 
276  ;  Jacob,  8,  56,  103,  116, 118,  123, 
126,  128,  137,  138,  144-146,  153,  1 86, 
220;  James,  227,   272.   276;   James 
M.,  260  ;  Jane,  231,  269  ;  Jeremiah, 
238,  272  ;  John,  56,  74-76,  78,  84,  91, 
96,  108,  109,  117,  118,  126,  128,  140, 
173,  181,  186,  215,  220,  228,  231,  232, 
251,  264,  269,  271,  272,  275  ;  Jonas, 
158,  162,  166,  186,  188,  215,  224,  225, 
258,  277  ;    Jonas  C.,    188,  202,  203, 
227  ;  Joseph,  159,  162,  272  ;  Joseph 
H.,  237,  270  ;  Josiah,  159,  264,  272  ; 
Lavina,   276 ;    Leonard,    160,    171  ; 
Lucy,  272;  Madison,  276;  Mary,  251, 
253,  272  ;   Mary  A.,  263  ;  Mary  W., 
264  ;  Molly,  22O,  251,  252,  270,  275  ; 
Nathaniel,  272;  Nathaniel  C.,  72,  173, 
186,  227,  264  ;  Olive,  13,   238,   258, 
272,  277  ;  Olive  C.  B.,  180,  224,  258, 
272,  277  ;  Oliver,  272  ;    Patty,   253  ; 
Peter,   164,   180,  181,  186,  187,  212, 
260,  276;  Mrs.  Peter,  65  ;   Pierpont, 
272  ;  Prudence,  140,  238,  257,  276 ; 


Rachel,  264  ;  Ralph,  220  ;  Rebecca, 
276  ;  Relief,  272  ;  Rhoda,  272,  276  ; 
Ruth,  94,  229  ;  Samuel,  159,  162,  164, 
253,  275  ;  Sarah,  237,  251,  258,  269, 
272,  275-277 ;  Sarah  Jane,  264 ; 
Stiles,  276;  Susannah,  94,  225,  231, 
272;  Temple,  86,  99,  109,  no,  116, 
116,  123,  126,  128,  132,  133,  140,  142, 
146,  159,  171,  172,  175,  178,  179,  220, 
225,  238,  257,  268-270,  272,  276 ; 
Thomas,  220;  Timothy,  251,  275; 
Timothy  A.,  251,  William,  122,  iSs, 
227,  270;  Zebedee,  76,  112,  116,  118, 
125,  128,  140,  143,  148,  149,  153,  155, 

158,  159,  163,  165,  I7O,  215,  22O,  222, 
223,  25I,  252,  272,  275,  294,  297. 

Kendall  Green,  221. 

Kensington,  N.  H.,  217. 

Keyes,  Ann,  238  ;  D.  P.,  227  ;  Joel,  160, 
162,  175,  185,  217,  238,  262  ;  J.  W., 
217  ;  Jonathan,  269  ;  Levi,  162;  Mary, 
238;  Peabody,  162,  194,  269;  Phoebe, 
217;  Polly,  238;  Samuel  P.,  194; 
Solomon,  44  ;  Sophia,  238. 

Kidder,  156;  Benjamin,  44,  45  ;  Dor- 
othy, 106 ;  Frederic,  32,  48,  49  ; 
James,  156. 

Kimball,  Henry,  7;  9,  10,  39,  282. 

King  William's  War,  29. 

Kingsbury,  E.  P.,  197,  198. 

Kingston,  U.  C.,  176. 

Kittridge,  Jonathan,  44,  47,  49. 

Knapp,  James,  9. 

Knights,  Isaac,  194  ;  Richard  H.,  195. 

Kyle,  Jane,  221. 


Labors  of  John  Eliot,  18. 

Lafayette,  137. 

Lake  Champlain,  120,  140. 

Lake  George,  77,  98,  180. 

Lakin,  Isaac,  44  ;  William,  9,  10. 

Lancaster,  Mass.,  17,  22,  29,  31,  34,  50, 

57.  232. 
Landeree,    Elizabeth,   99 ;    Jane,   99 ; 

Mary,  99  ;  Mary  M.,  99  ;  Peter,  99  ; 

Sarah,  99. 
Lane,  Anna,  281. 
Larkin,  Amos,  182. 
Lawrence,  80,  81  ;  Asa,  162  ;  Daniel 

H.,  171  ;  Hannah,  154  ;  Isaac,  153  ; 

Nathaniel,  153,  156;  S.  A.,  185. 
Lechford,  Thomas,  73. 
I.empster,  N.  H.,  176. 
Lenox,  Mass.,  224. 
Letter  of   Gov.  Stoughton,  31,  to  Col. 

Tyng,  50. 
Letters  of  James  Cummings,  120. 


308 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTAPI.E. 


Levy  of  shirts,  shoes,  and  stockings, 

132. 
Lewis,  John,  101  ;    Reuben,  101,  112, 

1 20  ;  Thomas,  172. 
Lexington,  Mass.,  113  ;  Ky.,  297. 
Lincoln,  Benjamin,  100,  101,  147,  148. 
Lincoln,  Mass.,  147,  188,  196,  197. 
Line  between  Massachusetts  and  New 

Hampshire  established,  73. 
Lingfield,  Edward,  44. 
Lining  out  of  hymns,  145,  153. 
Litchfield,  6,  11,  56,  282. 
Littlehale,  John,  101. 
Little  Naacook  Brook,  61,  76. 
Littleton,  Mass.,  17,  83,  215. 
Little's  Station,  42,  57,  232. 
List  of  soldiers,  117. 
London,  Eng.,  28. 
Londonderry,  N.  H.,  55,  67  ;    82,  282, 

288. 
Long  Hill,  53  ;  Island,  121  ;  Pond,  n, 

39- 

Long,  Zachariah,  9. 
Longfellow,  H.  W.,  5,  99. 
Loring,  G.  B.,  202-204,  2IO>  2?8,  279. 
Lossing,  B.  J.,  137. 
Louis  XIV,  33. 
Louisburg,  98. 
Lovering,  Horace,  184. 
Lovejoy,  Daniel,  246,  Polly,  246,  Polly 

C.,  246. 
Lovewell,  55  ;    Esther,  233  ;  Hannah, 

4i,  49.  5°  5  John,  17,  30,  32,  33,  40, 

42-54,  76,  215,  287,  288,   289,  291  ; 

Jonathan,  76,  84;    Joseph,   17,  55; 

Mary,  233  ;    Nehemiah,  49  ;    Noah, 

233  ;  Zaccheus,  32,  43,  214,  233. 
Lovewell 's  fight,  44-50,  288. 
Lovewell 's  Pond,  43,  45,  288. 
Lowell,  Mass.,  21,  59,  68,  197,  225. 
Lowell,  Rebecca  C.,  257  ;  S.  B.,  257  ; 

Sarah  E.,  257  ;  Sarah  L.,  257. 
Luce,  Abraham,  101  ;  James,  102  ;  R. 

E.,  226. 
Lund,  Hannah,  233  ;  John,  233  ;  Levi, 

171  ;  Oliver,  235  ;  Thomas,  17,  28,  32, 

34,  37,  41,  42,  288  ;  William,  42,  171. 
Lunenburg,  Mass.,  83,  232. 
Lyndon,  Vt.,  218. 
Lynn,  33. 
Lyons,  Thomas,  194. 


M 

Madison,  James,  167. 
MacLell;m,  I.,  Jr.,  106. 
Madison's  war,  164. 
Maiden,  Mass  ,  134. 
Malignant  (ever,  165,  166, 


Manchester,  N.  II.,  45. 

Manning,  John,  112. 

Map  of  Dunstable,  80. 

Marble,  Ebenezer,  182. 

Margaret,  a  servant,  102. 

Marks,  Mary,  30  ;  Peter,  30. 

Marlborough,  Mass.,  31,  144,  147. 

Marsh,  55;  John,  112,  117,  118,  126, 
128.  " 

Marshall,  Benjamin,  269,  270;  Betsy, 
139;  Elizabeth,  270;  Clement,  185, 
227 ;  Freeman  W.,  183  ;  George  E., 
194;  Silas,  153;  Thaddeus,  172. 

Masconnomet,  37. 

Mason,  N.  H.,  108,  154,  224. 

Massacre  of  the  Hassell  family,  30. 

Massapoag  Pond,  7,  II,  28,32,61,62, 
64-66,  68,  70,  77,  91,  96,  98,  loo,  103, 
108,  156,  175,  187,  199. 

Maxwell,  Francis  B.,  171. 

Mayo,  Willard  M.,  194. 

Medfield,  Mass  ,  27,  297. 

Meeting-house  in  First  Parish,  89. 

Meeting-house  in  Second  Parish  fin- 
ished, 27. 

Meeting-house,  Orthodox,  erected,  177. 

Meeting-House  Hill,  77,  78,  95,  97,  99, 
141,  154,  198,  228. 

Melvin,  David,  44  ;  Eleazer,  44. 

Members  of  the  church,  94. 

Men  liable  to  serve  as  soldiers,  182  ; 
drafted,  122-124. 

Merrill,  55;  John,  129;  Nathaniel,  56. 

Merrimac,  N.  H.,  II,  56,  183,  282. 

Merrimack  River,  5-7,  9-11,  14-17,  19, 

21-25,  28»  3°'  3'»  34,  39,  4',  5°,  55, 
56,  61-63,  68,  82,  84,  90,  91,  102,  103, 
106,  107,  in,  131,  133,  142,  152,  161, 
197,  281,  282,  287. 

Miantonimo,  18. 

Middlesex  Canal,  161 ;  County,  6,  50, 
59,  61,  157,  181,  184,  209,  282. 

Milford,  N.  H.,  11,  282. 

Mill  of  William  Gordon,  102. 

Milledgeville,  Ga.,  218. 

Miller  at  the  Gulf,  64. 

Mill  Stone  Meadow,  77. 

Mine  Falls,  41. 

Mineral  Spring,  70,  187. 

Ministers,  succession  of,  171. 

Minneapolis,  Minn.,  217. 

Minot,  Col.,  80,  8 1  ;  Timothy,  92. 

Minute-men  chosen,  112. 

Mitchell,  Ann,  139;  Nancy,  267. 

Modes  of  living,  284. 

Mohawks,  21,  288. 

Monadnock  Mount,  68. 

Money  voted  for  a  school,  82. 

Money  paid  for  preaching,  92. 

Monticello,  Ga.,  218. 


INDEX. 


309 


Montreal,  98. 

Moore,  34,  106;  O.  C.,  205;  Stephen, 

182. 

Morse,  John,  g  ;  Samuel  F.,  221. 
Morton,  Marcus,  179-181. 
Moseley,  Samuel,  24. 
Mount  Hope,  24 
Mount  Vernon,  144. 
Mudge,  Alfred,  i. 
Murphy,  Hattie  J.,  226. 
Murray,  Michael,  194. 
Muscatanapus  Pond,  n. 
Music  in  church,   103,   145,   153,    158, 

160,  175,  187,  223. 
Music,  military,  116. 
Muster  at  Concord,  158. 


N 

Names  of  original  proprietors,  9. 
Names  of  early  residents,  17. 
Names  of  members  of  2d  Parish,  101. 
Names  of  men   killed   at   Thornton's 

Ferry,  42. 
Napoleon,  148. 
Narragansett,  168  ;  fight,  7. 
Nasha way  Indians,  17. 
Nashobas,  17,  18. 
Nashua,  N.  H.,  11,  18,  58,  59,  61,  65, 

66,  68,  76,  182,   185,  203,  210,  216, 

245,  282,  283. 
Nashua  River,  6,  8,  14,  41,  59-62,  68, 

69,  80-82,  84,  103,  156,  182,  184,  281. 
Nashua,  A.  &  B.  R.  R.  opened,  199. 
Nashville,  N.  H.,  57,  282. 
Nason,  E  ,  i,  202. 
Natchez,  Miss.,  260. 
Natick,  Mass.,  103. 
Naticook,  15,  28,  41,  56,  76. 
Naticook  Brook,  6. 
Naticook  Indians,  n,  17. 
Natural  scenery  of  Dunstable,  69. 
Neff,  Mary,  31. 
Nelson,  N.  H.,  224. 
New  Brunswick,  176. 
Newbury,  52,  38. 
Newburyport,  224. 

New  England  Confession  of  Faith,  133. 
New  Hampshire,  40,  57,  73,  79-81,  84, 

85»  *34t  156,  281-283,  286,  287,  297. 
New  Ipswich,  N.  H.,  203,  220. 
New  Jersey,  127,  139. 
New  Orleans,  167,  194. 
Newport,  131,  132. 
Newton,  Mass.,  19,  198.         , 
New  York,  6,  120,  126,  127,  134,  136, 

258,  281. 

Nichols,  Capt.,  85. 
Nissitisset,  57. 


Nissitisset  Hills,  41,  62. 

Nissitisset  River,  14. 

Nobstow,  21. 

Nonantum,  19. 

Nonatomenut,  21. 

Norman  kings,  13. 

Norridgewock,  35,  40,  288. 

Northampton,  147. 

North  Andover,  289. 

Notice  of  tax-payers  in  1 744.  76-79. 

Notice  of  Capt.  John  Lovewell,  49. 

Notice  of  Danforth  family,  in. 

Notice  of  Wm.  C.  Jackson,  196,  197. 

Notice  of  E.  D.  Eldredge,  217. 

Notice  of  Isaac  Fletcher,  218-220. 

Notice  of  Amos  Kendall,  220-224. 

Notice  of  S.  H.  Tolman,  224. 

Notice  of  John  Woodward,  165. 

Notice  of  John  Spaulding,  224. 

Notice  of  Proctor  family,  177. 

Nottage,  Lizzie,  226. 

Nottingham,  55,  56,  80,  81,  83,  84,  140, 
282,  286. 

Numphow,  19. 

Nutfield,  N.  H.,  44,  45. 

Nutting,  Abigail,  262  ;  Ebenezer,  108  ; 
Jemima,  77  ;  Levi  M.,  iSS  ;  Nar- 
cene,  188;  Philinda,  188;  Scth,  262. 

Nutting  Hill,  41,  61,  68. 


Oath  of  office,  103. 
Old  houses,  72. 
Oliver,  Joel  M.,  183. 
Opposition   to   Mrs.  Winslow's  dona- 
tion, 94. 

Oration  of  Geo.  B.  Loring,  279. 
Ordination  ®f  Mr.  Lawrence,  153. 
Ordination  of  Mr.  Brigham,  180. 
Ordination  of  Mr.  Hey  wood,  157. 
Ordination  of  Mr.  Kingsbury,  197. 
Ordination  of  Mr.  Goodhue,  94. 
Ordination  of  Mr.  Swan,  57. 
Orthography,  curious,  74. 
Osborne,  Prescott  E.,  194. 
Osman,  David,  122. 
Ossipee,  45. 
Ossipee  Lake,  45,  48. 
Otis,  H.  G.,  175. 
Otis,  James,  100. 
Overseers  of  the  poor,  146. 


Packenham,  167. 

Page,   Betsy,  268 ;    Daniel,   182  ;    Da- 
vid H.,  194  ;  Edmund,  162,  165,  171, 


3io 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


172,  175,  185,  268 ;  Harriet,  268 ; 
William  H.,  277. 

Paine,  H.  W.,  169. 

Palfrey,  281,  284. 

Palmer,  Mass.,  147. 

Parkhurst,  56,  71;  A.,  185;  Abigail, 
261,  262,  269,  276  ;  Addison  B.,  259  ; 
Albert  L.,  65,  76,  182,  192,  227  ;  Al- 
fred G.,  195  ;  Alvira,  259  ;  Ameri- 
cas, 227,  277  ;  B.,  185  ;  Benajah,  227, 
259.  277  J  Betty,  247,  272  ;  Betty  C., 

276  ;  Catharine,   225,  248,  272,  276  ; 
Deborah,  250,  269,  271,  276  ;  E.,  185  ; 
Ebenezer,  74-76,  85,  91,  96,  116,  125, 
228,  248,  268,  270,  271,  277,  286  ;  Ed- 
mund, 166,  250  ;  Elizabeth,  248,  268, 

277  ;  Esther,  271  ;  Fannie  M.,  262; 
Fanny,  248,    269,  276  ;  George,  61, 
182,  227  ;    Hannah,  247,  248,   276  ; 
Hannah  M.,  226,  236,  268  ;   Henry, 
172,  179,  180,  181,  183,  185,  186,  191, 
192,   212,  214,   226,  261,   262,  276; 
Jacob,  182,  184,  186,  198,  227,  26r, 
277  J  Joe'i  65,  76,  108,-  in,  113,  116, 
117,  121,  125,  126,  128,  130,  i3r,  133, 
137,  138,  142,  148,  155,  156,159,212, 
215,  225,  247,  269,  270,  272,  289,290, 
292  ;    John,  276 ;   John  A.,  65,   76, 
142,  186,  192,  201,  223,  262  ;  Joseph, 
76,  85,  101,  116-118,  122,  126,  128, 
132,  133,  159,  1 66,  248,  250,  268,  269- 
271,  276;  Laura  S.,  259;   Leonard, 
65,  142,  147,  155,  157,  171,  172,   192, 
247,  267,  269,  272,  276  ;  Louisa,  267  ; 
Lucinda,  248  ;  Lucy,  248,  250,  260, 
272  ;  Lyman  V.,  227  ;  Margette,  248  ; 
Maria,  260  ;  Mary,  76,  270,  271  ;  Ma- 
ry Ann,  261  ;  Owen  A.,  227  ;  Polly, 
276  ;  Rebecca,  272,  276 ;  Rhoda,  276 ; 
S.,  185  ;  Sarah,  76,  94,  247,  248,  270, 
271,  276  ;  Silas,  76,  166,  248,  250,  260, 
270,  276  ;  Sophy,   276  ;    Sybil,  276  ; 
Thomas,  187  ;  Thomas  H.,  183,  185, 
187,  227  ;    Walter,    183  ;    William, 
272;  William  R.,  262;    Willis  H., 
263. 

Paris,  143. 

Paris,  Treaty  of,  98. 

Parker,  71  ;  Abraham,  9,  26,  28  ;  Asa, 
142  ;  Benjamin,  165  ;  Caleb,  56 ; 
Charles,  171  ;  Clark,  162,  171,  176, 
185,  254,  269  ;  Deliverance,  78  ;  El- 
eazer,  35  ;  Emerson,  172,  254,  270  ; 
Eunice,  254  ;  George,  269  ;  James, 
9,  10,  22,  26,  27,  in;  Jane,  175; 
Jonas,  172  ;  Jonathan,  227  ;  Joseph, 
9;  Levi,  153,  162;  Libni,  171,  188, 
196,  198,  200,  201,  227  ;  L.  Herman, 
199,  2or,  227  ;  Lucy,  254  ;  Luther  S., 
194  ;  Nathaniel,  84  ;  Rebecca,  254, 


270;    Samuel,    123,    132;    Sumner, 

182  ;  Tamar,  254,  269  ;  Thomas,  181, 

184,  215,  227. 
Parris,  Robert,  9,  17,  25,  27,  30,  32,  34, 

37,  38,  in,  212,  287. 
Parris,  Samuel,  38,  294. 
Partridgefield,  Mass.,  147. 
Parts  of  Groton  set  off  to  Dunstable, 

155- 

Passaconnaway,  18-21. 
Patatucke,  Jacob,  7. 
Patriotism  of  the  people,  107. 
Paugus,  40,  44,  46,  47,  49,  54,  76. 
Pawtucket  Indians,  17,  18,  19;  Falls, 

20,  21,  29,  161. 

Payments  to  soldiers,  127-129. 
Peace  declared,  143. 
Pearl,  Gilman,  194. 
Pearson,  Capt.,  35,  36. 
Peckins,  John,  167. 
Pelham,  Mass.,  147;  N.  IT.,  II,  282. 
Pembroke,  N.  H.,  50,  179. 
Penhallow,  Samuel,  41,  44. 
Pennacook,  20,  24,  50  ;  Indians,  15,  17, 

18,  21,  22. 

Pennichuck  Brook,  7. 
Pentucket,  6,  19. 
People    received    from    Groton,    153, 

"55- 

Pepperell,  Mass.,  n,  41,  59,  60,  67,  68, 
79,87,95,  104,  125,  156,  182,  199,282. 

Peppereli,  William,  79. 

Pequawkett,  34,  44,  45,  50,  51,  76,  78, 
215,  287,  288;  Indians,  47,  50. 

Perambulation  of  parish  lines,  100. 

Percival,  J.  G.,  130. 

Percy,  Lord,  112. 

Perham,  142  ;  Allen,  171  ;  David,  171 ; 
Elijah,  151;  Elizabeth,  274;  James, 
101,  122,  129;  John,  101,  106,  116, 
118,  126,  132,  149,  152;  Jonathan, 
101,  151;  Joseph,  106;  Josiah,  274; 
Lemuel,  102,  103,  105,  112,  113,  118, 
126,  128,  132,  137,  274;  Mary,  274; 
Peter,  146,  151 ;  Rachel,  274  ;  Ralph, 
171;  Rebecca,  274;  Silas,  274;  Su- 
san, 77  ;  William,  129,  152. 

Perkins,  Jeremiah,  227. 

Perry,  Obadiah,  17,  23,  28,  31 ;  Joseph, 
192. 

Petersham,  Mass.,  147,  148. 

Petition  for  incorporation,  9;  for  scouts, 

3°- 

Pettingell,  Capt.,  125. 
Pevey,  Lyman  E.,  194. 
Pew  ground  drawn,  96. 
Pews,  sale  of,  99. 
Philadelphia,  127. 
Philbrook,  209. 
Physicians,  215. 


INDEX. 


Philip,  19,  22,  24,  31,  32,  68. 

Pierce,  Allen,  172;  Joseph,  171,  172. 

Pierpont,  J.,  38,  278,  294. 

Pike,  219;  Benjamin,  99,  105,  Ii6-n8, 
126,  128,  228,  231 ;  Isaac,  152,  171, 
231;  James,  125,  129;  John,  36; 
Joseph,  85,  90,  94,  105,  229  ;  Lydia, 
231  ;  Mary,  231 ;  Rachel,  228. 

Pitch  pipe,  103.  * 

Pitman,  Venus,  178,  254. 

Pitts,  John,  89,  107,  144,  160,  212. 

Pittsfield,  Mass.,  147,  181. 

Plainfield,  42. 

Plan  of  Dunstable,  156. 

Pledge  to  defend  the  country,  112. 

Plummer,  John  K.,  227. 

Plymouth,  Mass.,  5,  93. 

Poem  by  Mrs.  Rockwell,  205,  210. 

Pokanoket,  22. 

Pollard,  55;  Solomon,  146. 

Pool,  Leonard  H.,  194. 

Poolesville,  Md.,  263. 

Pope,  Alexander,  150. 

Population,  103,  172, 177,  180,  188,  198, 
285. 

Port  Hudson,  193,  195 ;  Royal,  38. 

Post-office  established,  176. 

Potter,  C.  E.,  44,  45. 

Powder-horns,  curious,  98. 

Powell,  Jeremiah,  135. 

Powers,  Alice,  270 ;  Elizabeth,  146 ; 
Peter,  43,  215,  216. 

Pratt,  Anna  L.,  254  ;  Eliza,  254 ;  Jerah- 
meel,  158,  159;  John,  162,  164;  Ma- 
ria, 254  ;  Mary,  254  ;  Martha,  254  ; 
Nancy,  254 ;  Phineas,  7,  282  ;  Re- 
becca, 254;  Sarah  A.,  254  ;  Stephen, 
172,  254;  Thomas,  254;  William 
W.,  254. 

Preaching  in  a  private  house,  80. 

Preface,  3. 

Prentice,  N.,  15,  39,  57,  233;  William 
H.,  99,  101,  106,  294,  296. 

Preparation  of  pitch  and  turpentine,  56. 

Presby,  Clarissa,  225  ;  Rebecca,  235. 

Prescott,  218;  Avery,  172;  Charles  A., 
227 ;  William,  114. 

Proctor,  71  ;  Abigail,  274  ;  Amos,  240, 
269,  275;  Betty,  240;  C.  W.,  258  ; 
Catharine,  273 ;  Clarissa  E.,  178  ; 
Dexter  P.,  178,  197,  275  ;  Ebenezer, 
56,  75,  77,  84,  96,  137,  153,  '60,  177, 
184,  239,  240,  273,  275;  Elizabeth, 
240,  268,  275  ;  Emily  C.,  178  ;  Gen- 
eral, 165  ;  Gershom,  8,  116,  118,  126, 
128,  160,  166,  240,  269,  274,  275; 
Henry  O.,  178,  275  ;  James,  159,  162  ; 
Jasper  P.,  70,  177,  178,  182,  185,  197, 
259,  270,  275,  276;  John,  116,  118, 
125,  126,  128,  140,  162,240,274,^75; 


Jonathan,  118,  122,  144, 154,  157,  177, 
227,  258,  275,  276  ;  Josiah  C.,  2,  178, 
201-203,  227,  275,  278,  279;  Mary, 
197,  239,  240,  259,  275  ;  Mary  A.,  178, 
258,  259,  270,  275  ;  Mary  B.,  259  ; 
Molly,  273  ;  Nathan,  159,  162,  164; 
Peter,  159,  160,  175  ;  Polly,  275  ; 
Rebecca,  177,  184,  276  ;  Rhoda,  275  ; 
Robert,  9,  17;  Sarah,  140,  239,  240, 
273,  274  ;  Warren  W.,  258  ;  William, 
275;  Zephaniah  P.,  173,  182,  185, 
186,  227,  258. 

Proposal  of  Mrs.  Winslow,  151. 

Prosperity  of  the  people,  161,  167. 

Protest  of  R.  Blood  and  others,  105. 

Pulpit  built,  104  ;  supplied  byC.  Rock- 
well, 198;  D.  Goodsell,  180 ;  Mr. 
Austin,  198  ;  W.  K.  Talbot,  176. 

Putney,  Vt,  no. 


Q 

Quebec,  140. 

Queen  Anne's  War,  33. 


Raby,  N.  H.,  57. 

Raddin,  Augusta  A.,  264  ;  Hannah  C., 
264  ;  Isabel,  264  ;  John,  264  ;  Mar- 
tha, 264 ;  Rebecca,  264  ;  Samuel,  264. 

Raising  the  meeting-house,  86. 

Rale,  Sebastian,  40. 

Ralston,  Thomas,  176. 

Ranpuck,  Harold  A.,  194. 

Rawson,  Edward,  10. 

Raymond,  Eri  D.,  197  ;  Liberty  C.,  184, 
185,  187. 

Read,  80,  Si  ;  Abijah,  159;  Anne  E., 
236;  Betsy,  231,  236,  274,  277; 
Caleb,  158,  171,  215,  236,  274,  277; 
Calvin,  236,  277 ;  Catharine,  236, 
274;  Caty,  236;  Christopher,  17, 
30,  32  ;  C.  E.,  203,  205  ;  Eleazer, 
116,  118,  126,  128,  129,  231,  236,  274  ; 
Isaac,  274  ;  Jacob,  101  ;  James,  171, 
231,277;  Leonard,  231,  274;  Mark, 
236;  Martha,  231;  Mary,  229; 
Rachel,  236,  274,  277  ;  Rebecca,  231, 
274  ;  Rhoda,  274  ;  Sarah,  236,  277; 
Susannah,  274 ;  Sybil,  229,  274 ; 
Timothy,  57,  83,  85,  94,  97,  117-119, 
125,  126,  128,  131,  137,  138,  229- 
231,  268,  274,  290;  Thomas,  171; 
William,  274. 

Reading,  Mass.,  38,  78,  85. 

Reclfield,  Isaac  F.,  218. 

Red  Lion  Inn,  12. 


312 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


Remington,  Jesse,  148,  149. 

Removal  of  meetinp-house,  154. 

Representatives  to  General  Court,  212. 

Revival  of  religion,  169. 

Revolution,  impending,  107. 

Rhode  Island,  6,  122,  123,  126,  127,  132, 
285. 

Rice,  Benjamin  P.,  183. 

Rich,  Everett,  194. 

Richardson,  Abiel,  86,  87 ;  Abigail, 
243  ;  Daniel,  176,  186,  227,  262  ; 
Frances  E.,  262  ;  Lucy  A.,  262  ;  Ma- 
ry, in  ;  Oliver,  225;  Rachel,  262; 
Thomas.  44,  172,  243  ;  Timothy,  44  ; 
William  M.,  220;  William  B.,  297  ; 
Zachariah,  159. 

Rideaut,  David,  184,  227  ;  David  F., 
182,  184,  198,  227. 

Robbins,  82;  Albert,  27,  277  ;  Benja- 
min, 83,  85,  94,  266 ;  Betsy,  166, 
269,  272  ;  Cynthia,  266  ;  Damaris  P., 
277  ;  Desire,  277  ;  Desire  P.,  277  ; 
Dorothy,  269;  Elijah,  116,  118,  126, 
128,  132,  133,  153, 159,  270,  272,  277  ; 
Elizabeth,  94,  266  ;  Emeline,  270  ; 
Emerson,  277  ;  Freeman  L.,  183,  184, 
188,  196,  198,  199,  227  ;  Henry,  272, 
277  ;  Jefferson,  183  ;  Jonathan,  42, 
44,  47-49,  53,  74,  75,  78,  288  ;  Jo- 
tham,  182,  184,  227,  272  ;  Larned, 
277  ;  Lucy,  272  ;  Lucy  A.,  226  ;  Ma- 
ry, 272  ;  Micha  E.,  265  ;  Moody, 
171  ;  Parlin,  172,  227  ;  Rebecca,  277  ; 
Rhoda,  272  ;  Sarah  A.,  265  ;  Wil- 
lard,  162,  184,  270,  272  ;  William,  171. 

Robertson,  William,  194. 

Robinson,  Archibald,  101  ;  John,  194. 

Roby,  Catharine,  180  ;  Charles,  273  ; 
Christopher,  203,  215  ;  Dexter,  201  ; 
Elizabeth,  269,  273  ;  Oilman,  173, 
176,  182,  227  ;  John  S.,  273  ;  Joseph 
W.,  162,  172,  273  ;  Ralph,  273  ;  Reu- 
el,  273;  Samuel,  75,  78,  112,  151, 
162,  172,  268,269,  273  ;  William,  171. 

Roby  Hill,  67. 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  178. 

Rockwell,  Charles,  198,  227  ;  Mrs. 
Charles,  202,  205,  210. 

Roll  of  Capt.  O.  Cummings's  company, 
116,  125;  Capt.  Josiah's  company, 
158. 

Rosewell,  Henry,  5. 

Ross,  Sarah,  49. 

Rowe,  William,  178. 

Rowley,  Mass.,  35. 

Roxbury,  Mass.,  27,  127,  129,  296. 

Rumford,  N.  H.,  56,  282. 

Rusmussen  C.,  194. 

Russell,  James,  177. 

Rutland,  Mass.,  50. 


Ryswick,  treaty  of,  33. 
Ryder,   James   H.,  227  ;    Sanford  U., 
227. 

S 

Sabbath  school  established,  170. 

Saco,  Me.,  48. 

Saco  River,  44,  46,  288. 

Sackett's  Harbor,  165. 

Sacramento,  Cal.,  262. 

Saddle  Hill,  147. 

Sale  of  a  negro,  91. 

Salem,  Mass.,  5,  175  ;  witchcraft,  38. 

Salisbury,  2\j. 

Salmon  Brook,  7,  16,  27,  36,  50,  57,  61- 

6j,  67,  76,  80,  81,  103,  121,  123,  142, 

160,  176,  184,  185,  188,  199,  216,  220, 

287. 

Salmon  Falls  River,  43. 
Samson,  221. 
Sanderson,  Isaac  J.,  171,  172  ;  E.  P., 

185  ;  I.  P.,  185. 
Sandisfield,  Mass.,  147. 
Sargent,  F.  D.,  266. 
Sartle,  S.,  116,  125,  129. 
Saugus,  Mass.,  264. 
Savage,  Hannah,  33. 
Sawyer,  Mary  A.,  196. 
Scarlet,  Samuel,  7,  9,  106,  282. 
School  books,  82. 
School-house  first  mentioned,  no. 
Scott,  Benjamin,  74,  75  ;  Charles,  249  ; 

John,  101  ;  Lemuel,  118  ;  Mary,  249  ; 

Noyes  R.,  182  ;    Robert,  75,  77,  101  ; 

Samuel,  249  ;  William,  75. 
Scouting  for  the  Indians,  41. 
Scribner,  Matthew,  212. 
Searles,  Charles  W.,  227  ;  Samuel,  33. 
Sermon  of  Mr.  Emerson,  79. 
Seating  the  meeting-house,  99,  104. 
Seven  Star  Brook,  61  ;  Meadow,  in. 
Sewall's  Brook,  02,  63,  70. 
Shays,  Daniel,  146,  147  ;  Patrick,  147  ; 

Rebellion,  146. 

Shattuck,  Amaziah,  172  ;  Reuben,  172. 
Sheafe,  Sampson,  9,  12. 
Shepley,  John,  35. 
Sherwin,  Ebenezer,  86,  87,  90,  92,  94, 

96-98,  215  ;  Jonathan,  112. 
Sheppard,  Henry,  112  ;  William,  147. 
Shirley,  Mass.,  103,  170;  William,  90. 
Short,  William,  194. 
Sigourney,  L.  H.,  212. 
Silly,  John,  122. 
Simmons,  William,  183. 
Simonds,  Elizabeth,  253. 
Singing  school,  158,  179. 
Skinner,  Richard,  218;  Robin,  129. 
Skeenesborough,  120. 


INDEX. 


313 


Slatestone  Hill,  60,  68,  70. 

Sleeper,  Jonathan  F.,  152. 

Small,  Aaron,  152. 

Smith,  148;  Abijah,  172;  Benjamin,  235; 
Joannah,  235  ;  M.,2O5;  Samuel,  152. 

Snow,  Salmon,  171. 

Social  library  formed,  159. 

Soil  of  Dunstable,  181. 

Soldiers  in  French  war,  98  ;  in  late  war, 
192-195. 

Sollendine,  John,  17,  27,  28,  37. 

Song  by  Amos  Kendall,  223  ;  Mrs. 
Whit  comb,  204. 

Souhegan  River,  6,  9,  14,  17,  95. 

South  Merrimac,  N.  H.,  176. 

Sparta,  N.  Y.,  147. 

Spauldinir,  183,  185 ;  A.,  186 ;  Abel, 
113,  116,  117,  123,  125,  128,  162,  171, 
173,  258, 270,  273  ;  Agnes,  273;  Amos, 
235  ;  Andrew,  182,  187-189  ;  Bena- 
jah,  273  ;  E.  G.,  184  ;  Ebenezer,  34 ; 
Elizabeth  K.,  258  ;  Hiram,  182,  189, 
227  ;  James,  182,  188  ;  Joel,  152,  273  ; 
John,  34,  76,  83,  169,  170,  172,  180, 
224,  258  ;  Jonas,  201,  227  ;  Joseph, 
83.  85,  97,  116,  118,  125,  128,  273; 
Josiah,  259;  Lydia,  235,  270,  273  ; 
Mary,  259  ;  Miles,  182,  216;  O.  C.  B., 
258  ;  Rhoda,  273  ;  Samuel,  172  ; 
Samuel  T.,  227  ;  Samuel  S.,  189; 
Sarah,  273;  Simeon,  116,  124; 
Squire,  273  ;  Sulaua,  235  ;  Susan- 
nah, 273  ;  Sybil,  273  ;  Tauiar,  273  ; 
Zaccheus,  101. 

Spectacle  Brook,  8  ;  Hill,  68. 

Spencer,  Mass.,  147. 

Spit  or  Culler's  Brook,  215. 

Spooney,  Edward,  45. 

Sprague,  Charles,  14  ;  Phineas,  134, 

Spring  Brook,  61. 

Springfield,  Mass.,  147. 

Stark,  John,  289. 

St.  Francis,  25. 

Starr,  Ebenezer,  126,  128,  131,  148,  215, 
231-233,  268,  274;  Edward,  274; 
Hannan,  233,  274  ;  James  B.,  274  ; 
John,  274;  Rebecca,  231,  233,  274. 

State  Constitution,  130,  135. 

Statement  of  Mr.  Heywood,  163. 

Stearns,  Isaac,  125. 

Stebbins,  Rufus  P.,  26. 

Stedman,  Betsy,  265  ;  Ebenezer,  162, 
227,  252,  265, 

Steel,  Jane,  229  ;  John,  75,  77,  87,  90, 
91,  96-99,  101,  229,  268,  286. 

Stevens,  Betsy,  231  ;  Jeptha,  158-160, 
215  ;  Josiah,  158,  159,  231  ;  Kimball 
A.,  195;  Parker,  159;  Samuel,  159, 
215,  237,  269;  Simeon,  125,  158; 
Tabitha,  237,  269. 


Stickney,  Dea.,  85  ;  Henry,  195  ;  Jon- 
athan, 124. 

Stillwater,  N.  Y.,  127. 

Stocks,  pound,  and  whipping-post,  104. 

Stone,  Deacon,  8j  ;  Abigail,  218  ;  Eve- 
line, 245  ;  Samuel  S.,  245  ;  Samuel 
W.,  245. 

Stoneham,  Mass ,  103. 

Story,  Arthur  B.,  227  ;  Solomon,  227. 

Streeter,  Russell,  172,  190  ;  Sebastian, 
172. 

Strickland,  John,  137,  138. 

Strong,  Caleb,  215. 

Stuart,  Charles,  33. 

Sturtevant,  Asaph  C.,  227. 

Styles,  John,  195. 

Sudbury,  Mass.,  147. 

Sumner,  Me.,  138. 

Suncook,  N.  H.,  50. 

Sunderland,  Dr.,  221. 

Superstitions,  134. 

Swallow,  71,  80,  8r,  183,  185  ;  A.,  184  ; 
A.  N  ,  201  ;  Abigail,  273  ;  Abigail 
G.,  261  ;  Abijah,  269,  276 ;  Abra- 
ham, 158,  160,  215,  272,  275;  A.  O., 
259  ;  Albert  J.,  258  ;  Alice,  277  ;  Al- 
pheus,  72,  97,  183,  185,  214,  227,  235  ; 
Alvira,  262  ;  Amaziah,  108,  no,  117, 
125,  126,  128,  153,  162,  187,  268,  215, 
225,230,  231,  252,  258,  259;  Anna, 
275  ;  Archelaus,  162,  273,  276;  Asa, 
160,  166,  225,  252,  272,  277  ;  Ase- 
nath,  258,  259;  Benjamin,  116,  118, 
125,  128,  157,  269,  273  ;  Bera,  277  ; 
Calvin,  275  ;  Charlotte,  261  ;  Cla- 
rinda,  277  ;  Charles  R ,  195,  261  ; 
Daniel,  61,  182-184,  227  >  David,  162, 
273;  Deborah,  23^  272;  E.,  186 ; 
Elizabeth,  146,  230,  272  ;  J.  M.,  184, 
188,  201,  227  ;  James,  160,  176,  262, 
273,  276  ;  Jemima,  277  ;  Joanna,  269, 
273  ;  John,  18,  83,  85,  94-98,  lot, 
103,  104,  185,  227,  235,  261  ;  John 
W.,  277  ;  Jonathan,  95,  164,  269, 
277;  Joseph,  179,  i8bi,  215;  Ken- 
dall, 162,  231,  263,  272,  277  ;  Lar- 
nard,273,  276  ;  Laura,  277;  Lucinda, 
277  ;  1  ucy,  273,  276  ;  Luther,  275  ; 
Maria,  225,  277  ;  Mary,  231,  252,  272, 

275  ;  Moody,  273,  276  ;  Nahum,  275  ; 
O,  259;   Peter,  116,   118,    126,   128, 
166, 183,  273,  275;  Prudence,  273,  275, 

276  ;  Rebecca,  231,  269,  272  ;  Rhoda, 
275  ;    Ruel,  277  ;    Ruth,  272  ;  Sam- 
son, 159  ;  Sarah,  94,  95,  268,  273,  275, 
276,  277  ;  Sophroma,  266,  277  ;  Su- 
sannah,   225,    252,    277  ;    Sybil,  262, 
273,  276. 

Swan,  Benjamin,  29  ;  Josiah,  57,  74. 
Symmes,  Thomas,  44,  47,  48,  51. 


314 


HISTORY  OF  DUNSTABLE. 


Talbot,  William  K.,  176. 

Tarbox,  James,  117,  129  ;  Noah,  75. 

Taunton,  N.  J.,  221. 

Tax-payers  in  1744,  76. 

Taylor,   315;     Abigail,    231,    243,    247, 

273  ;  Abraham,  8,  56,  75,  77-79,  118, 
215;  Alpheus,  245;  Amos,  125;  Ben- 
jamin, 1 18  ;   Betsy,  247  ;  Bridget,  243, 
27  \ ;  Caroline  M.,    242  ;    Catharine, 
272  ;  Cyrus,  159,  162,  243,  273  ;  Cy- 
rus W.,  242  ;  Danforth,  273  ;  Daniel, 
159  ;  David,  74,  75,  77,  84,  85,  96,  97, 
117,  1 1 8,  126,  128,  153,  230,  268,  269, 
272  ;  Deborah,  249,  276  ;  Edee,  23 1, 

274  ;   Elizabeth,  241,  274  ;  Elliot  O., 
227  ;    Emma,  226  ;    Ephraim,    142  ; 
F..  263  ;  Frederic,  277  ;  George  E., 
195,  2^8  ;  Hannah,  94,  225,  230,  244, 
263,  268,  272,  277  ;  Harriet  P.,  242  ; 
Isaac,   116,   118,  125,   128,   156,    159. 
160,  162,  165.  166,  170,  175,215,237, 
249,  271,  276 ;  Isaac  O.,  202,  203,  214, 

272  ;   Jacob,   231,  273  ;    James,    77, 
126,  159,  162,  165,  172,  215,  231,  247, 
269,  273  ;  J.  O.,  173  ;  Jefferson,   172, 
277  ;  John,  8,  49,  286 ;    Jonas,  1 16, 
117,  125,  128,  129,  146,  159,166,172, 
225,  244,  271,  273,    277  ;    Jonathan, 
So-  73-  75-  77  ?  Joseph,  75,  94,  97  ; 
Josiah,    159,    243,    273  ;    Lucy,    271, 
276  ;  Luther,  274  ;  Lydia.  259,  276  ; 
Mary,  166,  244,  271,  273  ;  Mary  Ann, 
242  ;  Matilda  ).,  242  ;  M.  M.,   242  ; 
Nathan,   14    ;    Olive,  94,    139,  272  ; 
Oliver,  102,  116,    118,   125,  128,  137, 
138,  156,  159,  227,  242,  243,  270,  271, 

273  ;  Polly,  237  ;  R.  B.,  243  ;  Rachel, 
228,   249,   258,   271  ;    Rebecca,  243, 

273  ;  Reuben,  271  ;  Rhoda,  225,  243, 

274  ;  Rhoda  B.,   243  ;  Roxana,  225, 
277;  Ruth,  231,  274;  Sally,  139, 166, 
217  ;  Samuel,  56,  75,  77,  85,  87,  91, 
94,  96,  98,  103,  104,  109,  116,   118, 
122,  I2q,  128,  157,  162,  215,  225,  226, 
244,  268,  271,  274  ;  Samuel  S.,  186, 
198,  227,  258  ;  Sarah,  249,  272,  276  ; 
Sarah  M.,  242;   Susannah,  94,  215, 
243,  244,  268,  271,  273  ;  Sybil,  272  ; 
Thaddeus,  271  ;  Timothy,  75  ;  Wil- 
liam, 176,  231,    273,  274 ;    William 
R ,  243,  273. 

Teachers,  131,  142,  143,  146,  152. 

Teagreen,  John  N.,  195. 

Temple,  C.,  17,  31. 

Tenney,    134  ;  Ellen  L.,  262  ;    Esther 

W.,  262,  263;    Jonathan,  116,   125; 

Oliver,   125 ;    Mary  A.,  262 ;    Mary 


L.,  262  ;  Parrot,  117,  126,  129  ;  Wil- 
liam W.,  262,  263. 

Tewksbury,  Mass.,  6,  99. 

Thayer,  T.  B.,  172. 

Thomas,  a  servant,  102  ;  Dr.,  217. 

Thompson,  Asa,  101,  151  ;  Ezra,  lot, 
142,  145,  149,  151:  Huldah,  154; 
Nathan,  101.  151  ;  Silas  101  ;  Si- 
mon, 74,  83,  84,  90,  97,  100,  101,  154, 
171. 

Thormlike,  Olive,  267,  269  ;  Paul,  162, 
1 86,  267,  269. 

Thornton's  Ferry,  6,  41. 

Thunder  storm,  102. 

Ticonderoga,  120,  126,  127,  138. 

Tituba,  a  servant,  38. 

Toby,  a  Mohawk,  44,  45. 

Tolles,  Henry  ].,  197,  198,  227. 

Tolman,  Elizabeth  D.,  275  ;  Lucy  D., 
275;  Samuel  H,  171,  174-176,  217, 
224,  245,  270,  275  ;  Rachel,  224,  245, 
275. 

Tombs  built,  173. 

Topography  of  the  town,  59. 

Tories,  123. 

Townsend,  Mass.,  n,  55,  95,  282. 

Trask,  William  B.,  2. 

Trebizond,  196. 

Trowbridge,  Thomas,  112. 

Tucker,  Joseph,  65 

Tully,  Henry  L.,  227. 

Tunbridge,  Vt.,  225. 

Turkey  Hills,  50. 

Turner,  John,  9 

Turrell,  Peter,  171,  159,  179. 

Tuttle,  Charles,  227,  257 ;  Hannah, 
257. 

Tyng,  Edward,  12,  17,  23,  33,  231,  282, 
283,  293,  296,  297  ;  Colonel,  82,  85, 
284  ;  Eleazer,  49,  50,  73-76,  84,  90, 
99,  100,  ioi,  no,  214,  216,  232,  296; 
Elizabeth,  8  ;  Eunice,  296  ;  Hannah, 
293,296,297;  James,  ioi,  no,  in, 
113,  289  ;  John,  34,  62,  63,  80-82,  90, 
98,  100,  lor,  107,  108,  in,  113,  130, 
133,  135,  142,  151,  212,  216,  289,  292, 
296  ;  John  A.,  87,  99,  ioi,  232  ;  Jon- 
athan, 9,  10,  12,  17,  22-26,  28,  30-34, 

37,  39,  43-  6*.  7°,  75,  87,  9°,  I20>  H2 
212,214,  216,  287,  293,  296;  Mary, 
12,  23,  28,  39,  107,  282,  296  ;  Rebecca, 
296;  Sarah,  28,  216,  232;  William, 
8,  28,  33,  34,  35,  214. 

Tyngsborough,  Mass,  11,  15,  23,  27, 
28,35,36,  58,  59,  61-63,  69,  74,  76, 
86,  89,  99,  104,  107,  1 13,  129,  143,  152, 
153,  154-156,  161,  167,  177,  282. 

Tyng's  Corner,  96. 

Tyng's  Cove,  64. 

Tyringham,  Mass.,  147. 


INDEX. 


3*5 


U 

Underwood,  Asa,  152. 
Universalist  preachers,  172,  190  ;  So- 
ciety, 171. 
Unquetynasset,  60,  66,   82,    100,    155, 

226. 
Unquetynasset  Brook,  62,  64,  68,  70, 

J37-  IS3.I!»6,  1 80. 
Upliam,  T.  C.,  40,  54. 
Upton,  Jeremiah,   171  ;  Kimball,   182, 

186 ;  Joseph,  151,    154,  159;    Peter 

K.,  227. 
Usher,  Hezekiah,  23,  41,  48,  283,  296; 

John,  41  ;  Robert,  17,  33,  44,  47,  49; 

Sarah,  23,  75. 
Utrecht,  38. 


Varnum,  30 ;  John,  101  ;  Joseph,  39  ; 

Joseph  B.,  160,  165  ;  Thomas,  39. 
Vaudreuil,  Marquis  de,  40. 
Verplanck,  G.  C.,  5. 
Viall,  John,  75. 

Victory  of  Yorktown,  Va.,  138. 
Visit  to  scene  of  Lovewell's  fight,  49.) 
Volunteers  to  late  war.  189. 
Voters  in  1873,  226-227. 


w 

Wachusett  Mt,  68,  86. 

Wakefield,  N.  H.,  43. 

Waldo,  Cornelius,  28,  212  ;  Daniel,  17  ; 

John,  17,  212. 

Waldron,  Richard,  29,  287. 
.Walker,  John,  122  ;  William,  283. 
Wall  Hill,  68,  70,  199. 
Wallace,  Levi,  99,  209. 
Walling,  H.  F,  184. 
Waltham,  Mass.,  187. 
Walton,  Harriet  P.,  257  ;  Lowell,  186, 

257  ;  Mary  E.,  257. 
Wamesit,  7,  u,  20-23,  25  5  Indians,  17, 

20,  22. 

Wannalancet,  20-23,  31- 
Ward,  Artemus,  135. 
Warclwell,  Mary,  107. 
Warner,  Samuel,  17. 
Warrant  of  Oliver  Cummings,  121,  123 ; 

of  S.  Spaulding,  124. 
Warren,  Henry  V.,  182. 
Washburn,  W.  B.,  198,  203,  208. 
Washington,  D.  C.,  221,  297  ;  George, 

121,  137,  138. 
Watananock,  60. 


Watatick  Mt.,  68. 

Water  supply,  60. 

Watertown,  Mass.,  194,  289. 

Watson,   Abraham,    125;    Horace  H., 

165 

Watts,  Isaac,  145,  153,  175,  229. 
Webb,  21,  183. 
Webster,  Daniel,  i. 
Weights  and  measures,  160 
Weld,  Elizabeth,  32,  233;  Habijah  S., 

33,  216  ;    Hannah  S.,  33  ;    Thomas, 

12,  17,  27,  28,  33,  38,  216,  233,  283, 

293.  296,  297. 
Weld's  Brook,  27,  61. 
Welch,  f'atrick,  195. 
Weils,  William,  no. 
Welsh,  Richard,  122. 
Wentworth,  T.,  183. 
Western,  Mass.,  147. 
Westerly,  R.  I.,  216,  258. 
Westford,  Mass ,  6,  83,  156,  216,  254. 
Westminster,  Mass.,  no,  196. 
Weston,  44,  47,  53,  i  "7,  288;  Charles 

E.,  182,  227  ;  J   E.,  184. 
Wetherbee,  Benj.,  164. 
What  a  New  England  town  is,  280. 
Wheeler,  Joseph,  7,  9,  17,  27,  n  i,  280; 

Thomas,  16,  25,  in,  282. 
Whitcomb,    Lowell,    185,  227  ;    Maria 

A.,  202,  204. 
White,  H.  K.,  228. 
White,  Lucius,  195. 
White  Plains,  129,  138. 
Whiting,  143  ;  Samuel,   17,  30,  32,  33, 

35'  37,  38.  44,  46;  William,  172. 
Whitney,   57  ;    Isaac,  45  ;    Israel,  72  ; 

James,    jf,,    171;    John,    187,    282; 

Jonas,  125  ;  Zachariah,  45. 
Whittier,  J.  G..  20. 
Whittemore,  Deborah,  268 ;   Thomas, 

172,  190. 
Wicasuck    Falls,  25;    Island,   n,  21- 

25,  31,  I29 
Wild  animals,  83. 
Wilkins,   Daniel,  95  ;    Jonathan,   145, 

146  ;   Luther,  195  ;  Luther  E.,  195. 
Willard,    296 ;    Eunice,    296 ;    Josiah, 

232  ;  Simon,  6,  9,  16,  22. 
Williams,  Andrew,  264  ;  Ebenezer,  159; 

Frances  A.,  264. 
Williston,  D.  H.,  225. 
Wilmington,  Mass.,  224. 
Willoughbv,  Oliver,  162. 
Wilson,  Benjamin,  171  ;  Elizabeth,  27, 

297  ;  Henry,  183;  John,  27,  228,281, 

297  ;  Sarah,  27  ;  Warren,  181,  183. 
Winn,  55  ;  Joseph,  101 
Winchester,  232. 
Windham,  Vt.,  no. 
Winnipisiogee  Pond,  43. 


HISTORY  OF  DUASTA /.'/./. 


Winslow,  John,  232  ;  Mary,  148,  150, 
152,  232. 

Winthrop,  John,  iS. 

Woburn,  Mass.,  6,  26,  31,  42,  44,  47, 
55-  76,  288. 

Wolfe,  James,  98. 

Wood  supplied  to  Mr.  Goodhue,  101. 

Woodbury,  Josiah,  268. 

Woods,  71  ;  Abigail,  239,  277  ;  Albert 
C.,  263;  Amos,  153,  159;  Asa,  159, 
162,  172,  185,  254,  264  ;  Asa  E.,  265  ; 
Betty,  238,  239,  265  ;  Caleb,  153, 159, 
238,  239,  269,  270,  277  ;  Charles  J., 
242  ;  Charlotte,  265  ;  Cunimings, 
264;  Daniel,  44,  47,  49;  Deborah, 
277  ;  Eliza,  197  ;  Eunice,  269;  George, 
183,  269;  Geoige  \V.,  197;  Hannah, 
239-  277  J  Hannah  F.,  238;  Henry, 
162,  164,  242,  277  ;  Henry  ¥.,  239, 
269;  Isaac,  158,  162,  184,  197,265, 
269  ;  Isaac  N.,  182,  185,  227  ;  Jeptha, 
277  ;  Jerusha,  242  ;  John,  160  ;  Jonas, 
159,269;  Louisa,  265;  Maria,  277  ; 
Mary,  225  ;  Mary  A.,  242;  MaryD., 
265  ;  Matilda,  277  ;  Nathaniel,  45  ; 
Noah,  159,  164,172,239;  Paul,  142; 
Polly,  264  ;  Rebecca,  239,  277  ;  Sam- 
uel, 182  ;  Sumner,  185,  227  ;  Thomas, 
44,  47,  49  ;  Varnum,  184,  265  ;  Wil- 
liam, 162,  265  ;  William  H.,  183. 

\Voodward,  71  ;  Abel,  231  ;  Andrew 
T  ,  203,  227,  251  ;  Andrew  S.,  250  ; 
Benjamin,  104,  108,  117,  118,  126, 
129,  132,  133,  231  ;  Catharine,  231  ; 
Charles  N.,  182,  185,  227  ;  Esther, 


249;  Eunice,  231;  Ilarvy,  216 ; 
I-aac,  173  ;  James,  61,  77,  185,  227  ; 
Jain  ,  185,  189,  196,  227  ; 

John,  74-78,  So,  8 1,  84,  98,  165,  171, 
249-251,  268,  274  ;  Jonathan,  64,  65, 
98,  112,  116,  1 18,  125,  129,  132,  141, 
144,  159,  164,  171,  180,  267,  274; 
Mrs.  Jonathan,  113,  180  ;  Jonathan 
H.,  182,  227;  Mary,  249;  Mary  1'., 
250  ;  Molly,  274  ;  Patty,  274  ;  Polly, 
250;  Kachel,  231  ;  Rebecca,  250, 
251;  Sally,  250,  267;  Sarah,  267, 
274  ;  Theodore,  J  72  ;  Thomas,  98  ; 
Timothy,  159,  274. 

Woofolk,  Mary  H.,  221. 

Worcester,  Mass.,  147,  181  ;  Samuel, 
175  ;  Samuel  T.,  10. 

Wright,  A.  R,  260;  Elizabeth,  179; 
Emma  A.  P.,  260  ;  George,  162,  173, 
176,  179,  182,  186,  269;  George  P., 
84,  198,  227;  Harrietta  A.,  :6o ; 
Isaac,  114,  116,  125,  129,  159,  160, 
212  ;  Isaac  N  ,  183,  184,  260  ;  John, 
159;  Joseph,  28;  Joshua,  98;  Jo- 
siah,  125  ;  Levi,  171  ;  Levi  P.,  214; 
Luther,  168  ;  Newton,  184  ;  Oliver, 
225;  P.,  137;  Phineas,  138;  Reu- 
ben, 185  ;  Sally,  139;  William  T.,  179. 

Wyman,  Seth,  44,  46-49,  54. 


Yorktown,  Va.,  137. 
Young,  Wallace  N.,  227. 


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